


Where Flowers Don't Die

by Fluffyboots



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Anal Sex, Awkward Flirting, Bottom Eren Yeager, Eren Yeager Is a Ray of Sunshine, Explicit Sexual Content, Falling In Love, First Meetings, Fluff and Smut, Gardens & Gardening, Hunter Levi (Shingeki no Kyojin), Hurt/Comfort, Idiots in Love, M/M, Magic, Making Love, Mild Blood and Injury, Mutual Pining, Romance, Smut, Top Levi (Shingeki no Kyojin), Witch Eren Yeager, low key cottage core
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-01
Updated: 2021-01-01
Packaged: 2021-03-11 00:13:47
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 22,391
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28475991
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fluffyboots/pseuds/Fluffyboots
Summary: Levi took in a breath of cold air as he stepped over a fallen log. He gripped his bow in his hand, manoeuvring it around the frail branches of barren trees while stalking through the forest. It wasn’t far, now. He could practically hear the snow ahead of him compacting beneath weighted hooves; the animal unaware of his presence as it idly strolled through the thicket.He would soon have to ready his bow, but first he wanted to lay his eyes on the beast.~•~In the dead of winter, Levi finds himself an oasis.
Relationships: Levi/Eren Yeager
Comments: 27
Kudos: 437
Collections: 18+ Ereri Discord Server Winter Exchange 2020





	Where Flowers Don't Die

**Author's Note:**

  * For [elliemoran](https://archiveofourown.org/users/elliemoran/gifts).



> This fic was written as part of an Ereri gift exchange. I had so much fun writing it and am super pleased with how it turned it out (and the fact that I didn't shrivel up and die towards the end there)!
> 
> This one's for Ellie - I truly hope you enjoy it!

Levi’s boots were deathly silent as they crept through the snow. There wasn’t a single crunch or snap, for he had long mastered the art of stealth. It was a necessity in these parts, where the animals were skittish and would bolt at the drop of a penny. They weren’t accustomed to humans out here in the wilderness. But as shrewd as they were, they were incapable of erasing the tracks they left behind.

  
The snow aided in his hunt just as much as it hindered. A new blanket of ice had fallen overnight, and it assured him that the markings he’d found were fresh. Hooves had been imprinted in the frosty ground, and along with the snapped twigs and foraged vegetation, they were leading him closer to the elusive stag that he’d been tracking since dawn. The depth of its prints suggested it was a large beast; enough to feed himself for weeks while also making a decent profit at the markets.

  
Meat was scarce in winter, and the price for fresh deer was always high.

  
Levi took in a breath of cold air as he stepped over a fallen log. He gripped his bow in his hand, manoeuvring it around the frail branches of barren trees while stalking through the forest. It wasn’t far, now. He could practically hear the snow ahead of him compacting beneath weighted hooves, the animal unaware of his presence as it idly strolled through the thicket. 

  
He would soon have to ready his bow, but first he wanted to lay his eyes on the beast.

  
Levi’s skills were sharp, but not even he could see what was hidden below the fresh powder. There were usually only branches, rocks, the remnants of dying plants, but those were all to be expected. He wasn’t lucky enough to encounter any of those things. No; when Levi placed his boot in the next mound of snow, all he heard was a clink and a groaning rattle, and by then it was already too late.

  
Something snapped.

  
“Ugh!” Levi cried out as a searing heat clamped down on his ankle, tore through the leather of his boot and bit straight into his flesh. It happened so fast that he barely had time to register the pain before his body thumped into a bed of snow. His leg was burning, stinging, throbbing acutely as it tried to alert him to the damage it had suffered, but it was unnecessary. Levi already knew, and his veins were flooding with adrenaline. He clawed at the frigid snow, elbows digging into the powder until he was able to roll onto his back, then forced himself to look down at his twisted leg to confirm what had happened.

  
His foot was caught in an animal trap.

  
It was a grisly device; the spring-loaded kind that snapped shut on whatever dared to step between its jaws. Levi never used them. He thought they were cruel, and he was well aware of the twisted irony that added to his current predicament.

  
He winced as he tried to wiggle his foot free. The movement caused blood to dribble from the metal teeth that were embedded in his leg, the lurid red seeping through his boots and starting to form a mushy puddle in the snow. His lack of experience with automatic traps meant that he had no idea how to disarm it, and even worse, he was starting to feel light-headed.

  
He had to act fast.

  
Levi hissed and grunted as he attacked the metal with his other foot, forcefully kicking at the shackle without any consideration for the pain it caused him. He struck the device over and over again, his kicks becoming increasingly desperate the more he struggled, but with the freezing snow hugging his body and melting into his clothes, it wasn’t long before he was sapped of all his energy.

  
Exhausted, he flopped back into the snow and laid there, motionless spare from the irregular rise of his chest. The burst of adrenaline soon wore off, and then he was struggling to think. 

  
His leg had gone numb, and cold little needles were prickling at his fingertips. How long had he been there? Every time he blinked, it seemed like more and more time had passed, like the sun was no longer where it was supposed to be. It was moving too quickly. Was he still awake?

  
Levi thought about his mother as his eyes drifted shut for the last time. He missed her, missed hunting with her and foraging for tea leaves. It was strange, but he could’ve sworn he’d felt her hand cupping his cheek, and her fingertips slipping beneath his collar to gently touch the side of his neck.

  
She was so warm.

* * *

Levi’s eyelids twitched once he became aware of some peculiar sounds. Bangs and dings, creaking wood and a distant whistling, but it was the soft clacking of stones that roused him the most. There was a smell; like smoke and herbs, charcoal and something bitter. He turned his face towards the pillow and scowled as he stretched his body, feeling the pinch of his battered muscles and then, a dull but scorching ache that throbbed relentlessly in his left leg. It was that very pain that eventually caused his eyes to crack open.

  
He was in a bed. A big bed, buried up to the chin in animal furs and surrounded by an assortment of hand-sewn cushions. His injured leg was elevated on a pillow beneath the pelts and, somehow, he had been stripped of half his clothing and left in only his undershirt and briefs.

  
Where was he? How did he get here?

  
Levi turned his head to the side, his lethargic eyes slowly floating across the room he was in. There was a fireplace, the hearth smouldering as it ate away at a pair of logs. In front of it was a wooden stool and a small side table. Everything was cluttered and quaint; a desk and dresser crammed up against the wall and scattered with bits and bobs that were currently indiscernible to him. On the table beside his bed was a mortar and pestle. It sat among a collection of jars and bottles, each of their labels covered in messy scribbles that looked vaguely like words. The unknown environment only made him feel more disorientated.

  
It was then that a young man walked into the room, wearing a loose green shirt and carrying a small bowl in his hand.

  
Levi watched in silence as the man wandered over to the fireplace. He had shaggy brown hair and tan skin that glowed beautifully in the firelight, with beige pants and bare feet that padded gently along the floorboards. He stopped to look at the fire, presumably to check if it needed refuelling, then mumbled something to himself as he dipped his pinky finger into the bowl and had a little taste of whatever was inside it.

  
Levi caught his first glimpse of the man’s face when he turned towards the bed, and he saw the widening of marvellous green eyes as they met his own.

  
“Oh… hi.”

  
They stared at each other for a moment, the soft crackles of burning wood the only sound in the room. 

  
Levi was too tired to respond straight away, but he managed to force out a coarse hum to signal to the man that he had heard him. The more he regained his senses, the more he wished he hadn’t. There was heat in his leg, stinging pain, sweat caking his clammy skin and hair clinging to his forehead. He felt like a mess, and he was certain he looked like one too.

  
“My name’s Eren,” the man said while stepping towards the bed. “I found you out in the forest, caught in a trap and covered in snow. Do you remember that?”

  
Levi swallowed dryly, then nodded his head against the pillow.

  
“It’s lucky I happened upon you when I did. If you’d been out there overnight…” Eren trailed off, choosing to omit the words that didn’t need to be said. “But don’t worry, I’m sure you’re going to be okay now. You’re safe here.”

  
Levi groaned as his limbs twisted beneath the pelts that had been stacked on top of him. Those reassurances would’ve been a lot more effective if he wasn’t becoming more and more aware of the pain radiating up from his foot. Thinking about it was enough to perturb him, and as he tried to focus on it, he became convinced that he could no longer feel his toes.

  
“Nothing’s missing,” Eren answered his question before he could even ask it. “That trap got you pretty bad. There’s puncture wounds and some deep bruising, but no permanent damage as far as I can tell. It’ll just take time to heal.”

  
That alleviated the panic in Levi’s chest, allowing him to relax into the mattress despite his teeth remaining clenched with discomfort. He supposed he owed this stranger his life… even though he didn’t look like the type you would usually encounter so deep in the woods. His body was lean, his skin was unblemished, his nails were clean and nicely kempt. Eren definitely wasn’t a hunter.

  
“Here.” Eren stepped right up to the side of the bed and lifted a tiny spoon out of the bowl. “Eat this.”

  
Levi glanced down at the spoon that was hovering in front of his mouth. It held a dollop of chunky green paste, the bitter smell of which had already reached his nose and put a grimace on his face. It looked like something a poisoned rabbit would shit out.

  
“It’ll help with the pain.”

  
Levi was sceptical about that, but the promise alone was enough to convince him that it was worth a shot. He’d gladly consume anything that had a chance of alleviating his agony. So, with a displeased grunt, he parted his lips and waited for Eren’s strange concoction to enter his mouth. The taste was horrid, like crushed leaves and pond scum, and the gritty texture only made it worse.

  
“Yeah, I know it’s gross,” Eren said with an apologetic chuckle. He placed the bowl on the bedside table, carelessly knocking the mortar out of the way to make room for it. “It’ll work fast, and you’ll probably feel sleepy as well, okay? It’s all normal. Nothing to worry about.”

  
Eren wasn’t kidding – the effects that Levi felt were almost instantaneous. 

  
The pain in his foot diminished until he was left with only a bizarre pulsing sensation, and the rest of his body tingled as the tension seeped out of his muscles and was replaced with a numbing warmth. It was a good thing Eren warned him, otherwise he might’ve thought he was having an allergic reaction. His eyelids were getting heavy, weighted down by all the clouds that were gathering in his head, but he could still hear someone talking to him. It was a soft voice. A comforting voice. Speaking to him in gentle mumbles even though the words themselves were distorted.

  
“That’s it, just let the herbs work their magic. You’ll heal faster if you get lots of rest.”

  
Levi hummed and laid one of his arms on top of the pelts, enjoying the silky fur gliding between his fingers as he stroked it. “Levi,” he whispered, blinking slowly as his eyes focused on the beautiful face that was hovering above him. “Name’s… Levi.”

  
Eren smiled, then reached out to rest his palm on his cheek. His fingertips were electric, leaving a light tingle on Levi’s skin as they circled over his temple.

  
“Sleep now, Levi.”

* * *

Levi awoke to the same room, the same bed and the same damn ache in his leg. The only difference was that the fire had been extinguished and there was sunlight sneaking in through the closed curtains. He could actually think straight, and that alone was an improvement from the condition he’d been in previously.

  
He sat up and rested his back against the headboard. There was no sign of the quirky young man who treated him earlier – last night, he presumed – but his perceptive eyes were starting to notice things that they hadn’t been able to before. For instance, his pants and hunting gear were laid out on the floor in front of the fire. Books were stacked up on every available surface, from the desk to random piles on the floor, and much of the surface clutter turned out to be a collection of gemstones, plant material, and what looked like art supplies. Chalk, pencils, charcoal, piles of blank parchment. This room alone was filled with more things than Levi could find a use for.

  
He dismissed the mess, then looked towards the door and called hoarsely, “Eren?"

  
When no reply came, he decided to take matters into his own hands. He pushed the animal furs towards the end of the bed, causing one of the smaller ones to slip down onto the ground, and then carefully pulled his legs out. He had been expecting to see the blood-stained bandage wrapped around his ankle, but still, it came as a shock to him. It looked quite gruesome, with dark browns and reds saturating the bandage and crusting over as it dried. Even the skin surrounding it had turned a sickening purple from being crushed and bruised.

  
Fortunately, Levi had a strong stomach. He didn’t know anything beyond basic first aid, how to stop a bleed and splint a bone, and so he would just have to believe Eren when he said it would be fine. That was all he was capable of for now.

  
Levi’s eyes flicked back up to the door. He now had the good sense to wonder where exactly Eren had taken him. Was he back at his village, or somewhere else? Would he be able to make his way home? He didn’t have any family that would worry about his whereabouts, but his friends would become concerned soon enough. 

  
There was something about this place that piqued his curiosity.

  
Levi turned on the bed and lowered his feet towards the floor. He sat on the bed for a minute or so, breathing deep and psyching himself up before grabbing on to the bedside table and standing on his right leg. The upside to all this clutter was that it gave him countless things to hang onto. He used the furniture to support himself as he hobbled forward, finding his balance on the desk before taking the treacherous step across the room to grab onto the doorframe. Being upright made his ankle throb, but it was mild compared to yesterday. Perhaps that green sludge had some longer lasting effects.

  
Clinging to the doorway, Levi poked his head out to take a look around the modest living room. It was a similar state to the bedroom, crammed full of bookshelves and wooden chests that contained god knows what; all with interesting patterns carved into the sides and topped with far too many plant pots. In the middle of the room was an old looking couch and a matching armchair, both positioned around a polished coffee table and an off-white rug. The windows were large and had baskets hanging down in front of them, each one home to a leafy green plant.

  
The entire place had a cosy feel to it, and the warm air carried a pleasant smell of herbs and cooked meat.

  
Levi slowly moved along the wall as he followed the call of his stomach. Around the corner was an adjoining kitchen with a small dining table and a cast-iron stove. The furnace was crackling and bubbling, a fire burning in its log compartment, and on the stove was a large metal pot. Steam rattled the lid as it escaped, letting out that rich and hearty smell that had lured him here.

  
He supposed he would have to wait.

  
Levi turned around and backtracked along the wall, eyes drifting over a bookcase as he supported himself on the frame. He’d never been much of a reader. He was competent enough to get by, his mother had made sure of that, but the high price and scarcity of books in his village meant that he hardly read anything beyond the odd label and sign.

  
There was quite a selection on the shelf, from cookbooks to natural encyclopaedias, plant identification guides and what looked like a few romance novels. His eyes were drawn to a thick leather-bound book, the cover of which was rather clean and dust-free compared to the others. It must be one Eren read often.

  
Falling victim to curiosity, he leaned his shoulder against the shelf and slid the book out. The weight made it awkward to hold in his position, but he managed to rest half of it on the bookcase for easier handling. Then, he opened the book to a random page, and what he saw was quite unsettling.

  
The book was handwritten. There were symbols, words he didn’t understand, lists of ingredients and strange poems. Levi’s eyebrows furrowed as he flipped through a few more pages, finding detailed diagrams of plants, animals, and even humans. Certain words jumped out at him as he scanned through the text.

 _  
Potions… elixirs… enchantments…_

  
This was witchcraft.

  
Levi slammed the book shut and shoved it back into its spot on the shelf. He didn’t know what to make of this discovery. Witches were feared in his village, painted as malevolent sorcerers who conspired with demons and preyed on the vulnerable, but he preferred not to dabble in rumours and hearsay. The people who cried about the dangers of witches were the same ones who would label him a brainless brute for his choice of trade. Still, this gave him some cause for suspicion. Eren had saved his life, and he was grateful for that, but the fact remained that he was a stranger whose intentions were yet to be discovered.

  
He looked over the bookcase once more, using a more perceptive gaze now that he knew what he was searching for. Sure enough, there was plenty of evidence that he hadn’t noticed before. Bundles of dried herbs, unmarked bottles containing various powders and liquids, and countless books that had the same mystical symbols imprinted on their spines.

  
“Levi, what’re you doing?”

  
He looked up and found Eren standing at the front door with an alarmed look on his face, dressed in a similar outfit as yesterday and clutching a flax basket in his hand. There was no point in pretending he hadn’t seen what he had, and so Levi spoke up as soon as the young man stepped towards him. “You’re a witch.”

  
Eren stopped, his emerald eyes taking on an owlish expression. He plopped his basket down on the floor, then swept some hair from his face while letting out a timid chuckle. “Well, I never said I wasn’t.”

  
Levi eyed him curiously. He’d never met a witch before and knew terribly little about what power they held, but it wasn’t difficult to deduce that Eren was no threat to him. He did save him, and, by the looks of things, was in the process of cooking him a delicious meal. “What’s on the stove?”

  
“Um, stew, but…” Eren blinked, then seemed to shake off his bewilderment before walking towards him. “Can you sit down, please? I know it doesn’t hurt much now, but I promise you you’re still very injured.”

  
Levi stiffened when Eren’s arms wrapped around him, one grabbing onto his torso while the other took hold of his arm. It was a bit too intimate for his liking, especially since he was still dressed down to his underwear, but he begrudgingly accepted the assistance.

  
With Eren supporting one half of his body, they hobbled across the living room, one limp at a time, until they finally reached the couch. The small journey took more effort than Levi had anticipated, and he let out a strained grunt as he sat down and pulled his legs up onto the couch.

  
“That’s better,” Eren sighed as he straightened up. He wandered over to the door to collect his basket, then deposited it on the coffee table and sat cross-legged on the rug. The basket was filled with various plants and vegetables, with their leafy green tops flowing out over the top and cascading down the side. He pulled out a few freshly pulled garlic bulbs and started tying them together with a blue ribbon he had fished out of his pocket. “You’re not afraid of me, then?”

  
Levi blinked, having been somewhat mesmerised by the twirling of Eren’s fingers. “You’ve only helped me so far. Besides, I’m not exactly in a position to run away, am I?”

  
“I guess not,” Eren laughed, the smile that pulled on his lips an unmistakable sign of relief. He finished tying off the garlic, placed the bunch down on the table, then reached to collect a bushy plant from the basket. Rosemary, it looked like. “I don’t know if you’ve realised, but we’re quite deep in the forest. You’d have to walk for an hour or two to reach the nearest village, so which one are you from?”

  
“Shiganshina. One of the larger towns in the area.”

  
“Oh.” Eren glanced up from his hands, blindly plucking the small purple flowers from their stems. “I’ve been there before. A few times, actually.”

  
Levi lifted an eyebrow at that. “Really?”

  
“It’s the one with all those hydrangeas in the main square, right?” Eren’s eyes fell back to his task with a wistful sigh. “We used to take trips and go around visiting all the surrounding villages. We sold our wares at the markets, traded for things we couldn’t find on our own. For all the prejudice against witches, you’d be surprised by how many people would jump at the chance to buy our products. So long as we didn’t tell their friends, of course. I remember there was one woman in Shiganshina who always gave us flour from her husband’s mill in exchange for pain medication.”

  
Levi hummed curiously, unable to stop himself from wondering if he’d ever unknowingly passed Eren in the street. It was unlikely, seeing as he never spent much time loitering around the markets when had no business being there, but it was an interesting thought all the same. He enjoyed hearing Eren talk about his sales. By the sounds of things, he provided people more with herbs and medicines than he did magical services. “We?”

  
“My mother.” Eren had gathered all the lilac flowers into a pile and was now focused on snapping individual sprigs off the plant. “She passed two years ago. I still go to the markets when I need to, but not as often as I did with her.”

  
“I’m sorry,” Levi said. He imagined it would be difficult for Eren to live on his own all the way out here. Magic probably made things easier, but not even that was a cure for solitude. 

  
Eren looked up with softened eyes. “Yours too?”

  
“Yeah… a while ago, now.” Levi’s lip twitched, and he asked despite already suspecting the answer, “how’d you know?”

  
Those emerald eyes fell away as Eren continued tugging off sprigs of rosemary. “Just felt it.”

  
Well, empathy was a lot less concerning than telepathy.

  
Just about everyone Levi knew would describe him as stoic and indifferent, so it was even more bizarre that Eren was able to read him so easily. Since they were already on the topic, he decided it was worth poking around for some additional information. “I’ve never seen magic or known anyone who uses it. How does it work? Are there specific things you can and can’t do?”

  
“Well, um… It’s hard to explain. I’m not sure how it works, I mean… I was born with my abilities. I wasn’t cursed or any of those other silly things people talk about. My powers are hereditary.” Eren laid the herbs down on the table and pursed his lips. “I mostly work with plants and other natural things. I add magic to the tonics and medicines I make to enhance or alter their properties, I nurture my plants, cast some mild enchantments. That’s the daily stuff, but I can also use spells and stronger magic if I wanted to. But, of course, I’ve sworn never to cause harm to anyone. That’s the main reason we made a home out here in the woods. So that we would never have to use force to defend ourselves.”

  
“Interesting.” Levi was now sure that he’d made the right choice by trusting Eren. The handsome young man sitting in front of him would hesitate to swat even the most vexing of flies. “By stronger magic, you mean…”

  
“Anything you can think of, really. Except for all that nonsense about flying brooms and shape-shifting. There’s not a force in the world that could make that happen.”

  
Levi looked at his bandaged leg that was resting on the sofa. In doing so, he remembered yet again that he was still sitting around in his underwear. It was easy to forget due to the warmth of the house. There was a small knitted blanket thrown over the back of the sofa, so he pulled it down into his lap to discreetly cover himself up. “You could heal my injury, then?”

  
Eren was slow to answer. He dragged out a hesitant hum before finally forming some words. “Technically, yes. But I won’t.”

  
Levi frowned. Being healed with magic sounded a whole lot better than eating more of that rancid pesto. “Why not?”

  
“Well,” Eren said, thoughtfully tapping his index finger against the tabletop. “It’s tricky. Human bodies are complicated, and living tissue isn’t always compatible with magical forces. Everyone’s different. It can work well on some people and less so on others, but it’s impossible to tell how any one person will react. There can be some, uh… unintended side effects.” He glanced up with a troubled look on his face. “One time a woman came up to us and begged my mother to heal her hand. She had some kind of chronic condition that made it painful for her to do things, she was unable to work because of it. I think her name was Elysa, or maybe Ella, I can’t remember. She was desperate, and after a lot of back and forth, my mother agreed since she’d performed successful healings in the past.” 

  
Levi listened intently. This was all fascinating to him; hearing about a world of trade that he’d never known existed. He ended up quite engrossed in the story. “And?”

  
“The condition in her hand was cured. But unfortunately, she had a severe reaction and the skin of her fingers fused together like a frog’s foot. She had to bargain with a doctor to have it surgically corrected. She’s doing okay now, last I heard, but I doubt she’s any better off than she was beforehand. It’s just not worth the risk, especially for injuries that’ll heal on their own.”

  
“Shit,” Levi said. “That’s fine, Eren. I'll just sit my ass and heal the old fashioned way." 

  
“Thanks for understanding… some people can be really pushy about it.” Eren looked down as he wrapped a ribbon around his sprigs of rosemary. “How are you feeling, by the way? Let me know when it starts to hurt again. I’ll give you something for it.”

  
“I’m fine for now,” Levi answered while taking another glance around the living room. He noticed his bow leaned up against the front door, probably still in the exact spot Eren had dumped it in while trying to drag him inside. It was embarrassing, really. He wondered if Eren thought he was an idiot for getting hurt in such a ridiculous manner. “I am hungry, though.”

  
“I bet.” Eren finished tying off his ribbon and got to his feet. “I’ll go check on dinner now; it should almost be ready.”

  
“Dinner?” Levi gave him a puzzled look. “What time is it?”

  
Eren laughed lightly, then wandering towards the kitchen with his bundles of garlic and rosemary. “Five in the afternoon.”

  
Good lord, that medicine must’ve knocked him out cold.

  
It was no wonder he was starving. The delectable aroma that was wafting out of that pot was enough to make mouth water and his stomach grumble. He remained patient and watched Eren move around the kitchen, hanging his garlic in the pantry and then skilfully chopping something on the counter. There was something about the way he carried himself that Levi found appealing. Perhaps it was his confidence in his craft, the way his shy and naïve demeanour gave way to self-assurance and expertise. It was interesting.

  
Eren was interesting.

  
There was a sudden smack against the wall, and Levi flinched before turning to see what it was. He didn’t expect to see a fluffy little beast hauling itself through an open window. It was a black cat with white fur on its belly, chin, and three of its dainty paws. The colouration made it look as though it was wearing a tiny black jacket. Once the cat had jumped in through the window, it trotted across the living room and made a beeline for the kitchen.

  
Levi tried to call it over by clicking his tongue, but the cat merely stopped to throw him an irritated glare before darting into the kitchen. He watched it jump up on the dining table, mewling and swishing its tail as it used every trick in the book to get Eren’s attention. Then, he heard Eren talk back to it.

  
“And what do you think you’re doing, Madam? Tracking your dirty little toes all over my tablecloth?”

  
Levi smiled to himself, but he pretended he hadn’t heard the exchange when Eren walked back into the living room with the cat cradled in his arms. “Is that your cat?”

  
“Sure is,” Eren replied while plopping the cat down in the armchair. “Her name’s Mikasa, but she doesn’t respond to it half the time.”

  
Levi’s eyes shifted to look at Mikasa. She had already settled down in the chair and was staring back at him with golden, snake-like eyes. “She’s what, your familiar?” 

  
“Ha, no. Just a friend.”

  
Eren shook the fur off his hands and headed back into the kitchen, leaving Levi to fend for himself against Mikasa. She didn’t seem too pleased about having a guest in her home – if the way she folded her ears back when he leaned towards her was any indication. Hoping to avoid another injury, Levi ignored her resentful stares and went back to watching Eren work.

* * *

The evening went on, and Levi’s patience was finally rewarded. Eren had helped him move from the couch to the dining table, blanket still slung around his waist, then brought over a small cushion for Levi to rest his foot on while sitting in the rickety wooden chair. The sun had set, and the sky was darkening. A single lantern sat in the middle of the table, right next to a pair of ceramic salt and pepper shakers and a round vase that was filled with an assortment of wildflowers.

  
Levi raised his eyebrows as inspected the meal that had been laid out in front of him. There was a medium sized bowl filled with reddish-brown stew, chunks of vegetables and meat drowning in the broth and infusing it with their flavours. Carrots, tomatoes, mushrooms. Ribbons of steam gently danced on the surface, and between their two bowls was a plate of freshly cut bread. He couldn’t even guess how Eren had gotten these ingredients so far into Winter.

  
“Dig in,” Eren said, reaching for a slice of bread from the other side of the table.

  
Levi didn’t need any further encouragement. He grabbed his spoon and shovelled the stew into his mouth, ravenous enough that he allowed himself to skimp on the table manners. It tasted just as good as it smelt. The meat was tender, the vegetables still had a touch of firmness, and the stew itself had a rich and complex flavour that spread throughout his mouth. He hummed eagerly, swallowed his mouthful and grabbed some bread for himself. The fluffy inside was surrounded by a good crust, and there even seemed to be a mixture of rosemary and thyme that had been baked into the bread.

  
Eren let out a soft chuckle. “I’m guessing you like it, then?”

  
Levi nodded while swallowing down a mouthful of bread. His eyes flicked up just in time to catch the shy little smile on Eren’s face, and it was then that he decided that he should slow down and try not to make a mess of himself. “Where’s the meat from?”

  
“The markets. It’s cheap mutton, but cooking it all day on a low flame makes it tender.” Eren tore up another piece of bread and gingerly dunked it in his stew. “You’re a hunter, right? I guessed as much from all the stuff you had on you.”

  
“That’s right,” Levi said. In addition to his bow, he assumed Eren must have also found the slaughtering knife he kept in his pocket. That was fine - but knowing Eren had undressed him put a strange feeling in his stomach. It wasn’t discomfort or even embarrassment, but a nervous turbulence that he would much rather ignore.

  
“How long have you been doing it?”

  
Levi reached for his cup of water, taking a few sips before returning it to the tabletop. “Since I could walk. Hunting runs in the family.”

  
Eren took another bite while watching him with fascinated eyes. “Your father taught you?”

  
“My mother.”

  
“Ah.”

  
“She was excellent with a bow,” Levi continued. “It earned us a good enough living. We sold all the best cuts since it saw the highest profit, but every now and then kept a quality steak for ourselves.”

  
Eren hummed, resting his chin on his hand as he stared across the table. “I’d like to see you fire a bow. I’ve never seen it up close before… are you really good?”

  
“Oh, uh,” Levi struggled with his answer. He’d spent a long time practicing his shot, had become so comfortable with a bow in his hands that it felt like an extension of himself, but he didn’t believe himself to be of exceptional talent. He wasn’t as skilled as his mother – at least not yet. Still, there was something about the excited sparkle in Eren’s eyes that made him eager to impress. “Yes, I am. Once my leg is healed, I’ll catch you a deer as repayment for helping me.”

  
“That would be amazing. I don’t buy meat that often because it spoils so quickly, but I could probably find some kind of spell to help preserve it. Wow... I bet you’re really strong, too.” Eren’s brows shot up, a startled expression creeping into his eyes before they dropped down to his bowl. “Oh, I’m sorry, is that a weird thing to say? I don’t know sometimes...”

  
“That’s fine,” Levi said. He cleared his throat and reached for another piece of bread, trying not to let the meaningless comment inflate his ego too much. “It does require a certain level of physical endurance.”

  
Eren nodded acceptingly, breaking up a chunk of potato with his spoon and carrying on with his meal. It was then that the lurking Mikasa decided to try her luck and approached him with a raised tail. She meowed sweetly, winding between Eren’s leg and the foot of the table to make her presence known.

  
“Hi, darling,” Eren cooed once she bunted into his shin. He lifted his foot to gently pet her with his toes. “Oh, you’re a hungry kitty, aren’t you?”

  
Levi let out an amused scoff, opting to sit and watch instead of trying to get involved in the petting. Not that he had a choice – Mikasa didn’t even come over to his side of the table.

  
Mikasa purred softly, rubbing her cheeks all over Eren’s leg and foot while swaying her tail in the air. She seemed to know that she would eventually get what she wanted, and indeed she did. Eren plucked a chunk of mutton out of his bowl and offered it down to her. Mikasa took it gently between her teeth, vigilant not to cause her owner any harm, then went and sat beneath Eren’s chair to nibble at her treat. 

  
Levi watched in silence, not wanting to spook the animal by speaking too suddenly. His eyes eventually drifted back to Eren, who was now slouching in his chair and using a piece of bread to mop up the last of his stew. “Do you ever get lonely here?”

  
Eren paused what he was doing, keeping his eyes on his dish as he let out a melancholy sigh. “Sometimes. I’d never really felt alone until my mom passed away, and it was hard adjusting to doing everything by myself. But I have Mikasa, my books, people I talk to whenever I go into town. I manage to keep myself busy most of the time.”

  
“I see.” Levi glanced over at the bookcase that extended up to the ceiling. It was made of dark polished wood and accompanied by a small step ladder. “Do you have a favourite? I don’t read often, but it could be a nice way to pass the time while I’m here.”

  
“Mmn,” Eren hummed while popping his last bit of bread into his mouth. Once he was finished, he followed Levi’s gaze to the bookshelf with an awkward smile on his face. “Most of them are educational, but there’s a few works of fiction in there. I’m not sure if you’d enjoy them, though. They’re all fairy-tales.”

  
“Fairy-tales?”

  
“Yeah.” Eren bit his lip and glanced down at his empty bowl, embarrassment adding a touch of red to his cheeks. “You know... magic, romance, knights and dragons. That sort of stuff.”

  
That came as a surprise. He would have assumed Eren wouldn’t like a genre that tends to portray witches as evil and repulsive. Levi had never read one himself, but he knew quite well what they were often about. “You like reading about princesses, huh?”

  
“Um, they’re okay,” Eren said while fiddling with his spoon. Hesitant green eyes flicked up and fell back down just as fast. “Actually, I find the princes and knights more interesting.”

  
“Oh.” That left Levi unusually tongue-tied. No particular reason for it, he’d quite fancy a prince himself, but still it led to an uncomfortable heat on his neck. “Fair enough. There’s a lot to like about them." 

  
Eren smiled faintly, humming an acknowledgement before standing up to clear the table. He collected their bowls and the bread plate, then carried them over to the counter and started washing them down in the sink. It came as a surprise that he had running water all the way out here in the forest.

  
“Can I help?”

  
“It’s okay,” Eren replied, glancing back over his shoulder with a low chuckle. “You can’t even walk over here.”

  
Levi sighed and finished off his water. He hated the thought of being a burden, unable to help or contribute, even if it wasn’t by his own choice. There must be something he could do around here besides sitting on the couch. 

  
Once Eren had done the dishes and put away the leftover bread, he prepared a small bowl of meat and gravy and placed it on the floor for Mikasa. She thanked him with a gleeful mewl, and Eren then dried his hands on a cloth before turning back to the table. “We should probably get you back into the bedroom. Your bandage needs to be changed, and then I’ll be prescribing a full night’s sleep.”

  
“All right,” Levi said. He wasn’t too taken with the idea of having Eren inspect his repulsive injury, but he knew it had to be done. Sleep sounded good, too. He was exhausted despite only being up for a few hours.

  
Eren lit a second lantern and came over to collect him, and they then began their slow and tedious journey back into the bedroom. They were starting to get the hang of it; walking in synchronisation, with Eren holding on to one side of his body as he steadily limped along. 

  
It was a relief when they finally reached the bed. Levi sat down on the end with a weary sigh, their current method of moving around taking far more energy than he was used to. He looked over the blankets and furs that he had been huddled up in previously, now doubting that he would require so many. 

  
“I’ll just grab my things,” Eren said. He placed the lantern next to the bed, then set off around the room to collect the various tools and items. He brought over an engraved wooden box that Levi suspected was filled with medical supplies, followed by a few jars and bottles and a dinky pair of scissors. Next, he left the room to fetch a bucket of water and a small cloth.

  
Levi pressed his lips together as he watched Eren throw various liquids and powders into the bucket. He didn’t know what any of the substances were, and in fact, he didn’t really care. So long as it didn’t fuse his toes together, that is. 

  
Now with everything in position, Eren sat down on the floor and started to inspect the bandage wrapped around Levi’s foot and ankle. The white gauze was soiled with brown and red splotches, but the lack of any fresh stains suggested it hadn’t bled anymore throughout the day. Eren grabbed one of the bottles and dripped a clear liquid into his palm, then rubbed it into his hands and reached for the pair of scissors. Each snip was careful and precise, cutting away at the small knot he’d tied until he was able to unravel the bandage.

  
A frown crept onto Levi’s face as he looked down at his ankle. It really was quite revolting. His skin was marred with jagged threads and crusted blood, and all the bruising and swelling was nothing short of unsightly.

  
“It looks good,” Eren said while squinting at the rows of stitches. “I mean… it doesn't look _good,_ but I can’t see any signs of complication.” 

  
Levi hummed absently. That was good news, at least. He allowed Eren to position his foot above the bucket, then grimaced as he started bathing the wounds in water and cleaning off the grit with his hands. The sting was noticeable now, his flesh flaring in protest of the manhandling despite Eren being as gentle as possible.

  
“Almost done.” Eren kept wiping away the blood from Levi’s skin as he offered his reassurances. He was careful not to touch the wounds or disturb the stitches, simply running a small amount of water over them to wash off any surface grime. Once finished, he wrapped the cloth around Levi’s ankle and moved the bucket to the side, softly patting away the moisture and wiping up any debris he’d missed. “Doesn’t hurt too much?”

  
“No,” Levi said through clenched teeth.

  
Eren carried on until the area was good and dry. He picked up one of the jars that was sitting beside him, screwing off the lid to reveal and smooth, greenish paste. He scooped it up with his fingertips and applied it around with stitches so lightly that it almost tickled. 

  
Tension released from Levi’s shoulders once Eren started to wrap a new dressing around his ankle. The slight compression actually felt kind of nice. He was glad it hadn’t taken too long, and the mysterious paste was working fast to alleviate the throbbing ache of his wounds. “Thank you.”

  
Eren smiled up at him, eyes bright and full of life. He gently stroked his thumb over Levi’s bandaged heel. “It’s no problem at all.”

  
Levi swallowed, enjoyed the soothing touch a bit more than he’d like to admit. Was it bad that he liked receiving so much of Eren’s attention? The man was just trying to make sure he didn’t die, after all.

  
“Time to get some rest.” Eren collected his things from the floor and somehow found a space for them on the desk; a miraculous feat in and of itself. “I think you can go without the fire tonight. Oh, and please don’t try to get up on your own again. I’ll be in the house so just call for me when you wake up.”

  
Levi gave a simple nod. All that hobbling around had taken its toll, and he was eager to crawl back under the blankets like the injured thing that he was. It occurred to him only now, as he looked around the room and saw all the personal effects, that the bed he’d been laying in probably belonged to Eren. “Where are you sleeping?”

  
“The spare room.” Eren picked up the bucket of water and soiled gauze as he headed out towards the living room. He looked back at Levi, flashing him a quick smile before closing the door behind him. “Goodnight.”

  
Now that he was alone, Levi started the awkward process of trying to wriggle himself into the bed. It only took him a minute or so, arms doing most of the work as he carefully slotted his legs beneath the pelts. He then removed the top fur to make sure he wouldn’t overheat. It was oddly warm in Eren’s house for the dead of winter. Snow had been falling consistently over the past week or two, but his room was a pleasant temperature even without the fire and extra blankets.

  
Levi relaxed into the pillows with a heavy sigh. Before he fell asleep, he spent some time thinking about the past day. How stupid he was to have stepped in trap and almost got himself killed. How fortunate he was, and still is, to have been saved by such a charming young man. He allowed his mind to wander then, imagining what it would be like to go out hunting with Eren and track down that deer he’d promised him. 

  
It probably wouldn’t come to pass; he doubted Eren had the necessary skills and stealth to accompany him, but it sure was nice to think about.

* * *

The next day started off quiet and slow. They got up late and shared a lunch of leftover stew, which had somehow gotten even more delicious after marinating overnight. Small-talk wasn’t one of Levi’s strong suits, but he enjoyed conversing with Eren. They exchanged details about their respective lives and hobbies, how they each grew up, and even a few odd and unfortunate stories from their childhoods. 

  
He learned that Eren was quite a ways younger than him. Merely twenty-two compared to his thirty-one, but Levi could’ve guessed as much just by looking at him.

  
Afterwards, Levi faced the arduous task of bathing himself. He refused any and all help from Eren in that department. In the end, he decided to just wipe himself down with soap and water instead of attempting to get in the tub while also keeping his bandage dry. It worked well enough; removed the sweat and dirt that had built up on his skin. He’d scrubbed himself until he was convinced he no longer smelt like a horse’s ass.

  
He managed to get himself into the baggy pants that Eren had given him, the fabric loose enough around his legs to not rub against his injury. Once satisfied with his appearance, he opened the bathroom door and found Eren waiting for him outside.

  
“Look what I found,” Eren said excitedly. He was holding a wooden cane with a convenient little handle on top. “I thought you’d like to be able to move around on your own.”

  
“Yeah, thanks.” He took the cane and tested it against the floor, finding that it was indeed strong enough to support his weight. To be honest, he hadn’t minded wrapping his arm around Eren’s shoulders to keep himself steady, but he couldn’t deny that the crutch would be easier for them both.

  
Eren watched him take a few steps into the living room with a pleased smile on his face. “Do you want to come outside with me, then? I have a bit of work to do.”

  
Levi hummed his interest, then used his new walking stick to follow Eren towards the front door. The cane took some getting used to, but he kept at it until he eventually passed through the door and ended up on the front porch. His eyes widened as he looked around outside.

  
The front porch was stained a dark brown, furnished with a wooden bench and countless pots of flowers, hanging down from the ceiling and lined up along the handrail. There was everything from purple and white pansies to a bucket full of wild sunflowers. More flowers bordered the front steps, and at the bottom of them was a lush green lawn with a cobblestone path. The air was… warm.

  
Levi furrowed his brows and followed the grass with his eyes. Farther from the house, just past a low picket fence, was a field of snow that refused to come any closer. Baffled, he hobbled down the stairs and made his way towards the peculiar sight.

  
The snow stopped abruptly, as if it was beholden to some kind of invisible barrier. Levi passed through the gate and stopped at the margin of green and white, curiously examining the few inches of space where the two blended into each other. Then, he held out his arm. His hand reached over to the snowy side, and sure enough, his fingertips were met by an instant chill. It was incredible, unbelievable, and without a doubt a manifestation of Eren’s magic. 

  
He’d assumed that the young man was incapable of anything so powerful. Clearly, he had been wrong.

  
“You like it?” Eren asked, wandering up behind him with a flax basket in each hand. “It’s a climate bubble. Let’s me grow my garden all year long.”

  
Levi pulled his hand back in, the immediate change in temperature putting a strange tingle on his fingertips. It was no wonder the house was always so warm and cosy. Eren was living in a constant state of summer. “It’s amazing,” he said with a breath of awe. “I can’t believe this is even possible.”

  
“Well, it’s not easy,” Eren replied. He idly swung the baskets in his hands. “I have to cast the spells every three or four days - whenever the magic starts to fade. I wouldn’t bother with it if I wasn’t so reliant on my garden.”

  
Levi was speechless. He understood what Eren was saying, knew in his mind that what he was seeing was real, but still, the sudden cut-off of snow confused him. It was like watching a bird fly backwards; incomprehensible even when you witnessed it with your very own eyes.

  
Since he found the invisible barrier perplexing to look at, Levi turned around to inspect the outside of Eren’s home instead. It was exactly as he’d expected, more of a cottage than a house, consisting of a charming mix of wood and cobblestone. The exterior looked run-down, weathered by whatever elements Eren chose to let in, and one side was currently in the process of being smothered by rampant plant life. Flowered vines snaked up the walls and crept over the roof, blanketing the overhang of the balcony and wrapping themselves around wood pillars. 

  
It was a perfect representation of what he’d learned about Eren so far. Much like the witch himself, the cottage was charming, quaint, and chaotic.

  
“Come this way.”

  
Levi looked over and saw Eren following the cobblestone path around the side of the house. He walked after him, inevitably falling behind as he struggled to move his cane through the grass. The surroundings were distracting, as well. 

  
Around the side and back of the house were rows of raised garden beds, each one filled with a variety of fruit, vegetables, and herbs. Behind them was a fenced off area of soil and greens, probably home to potatoes and other root vegetables. Levi didn’t know much about gardening and farming, but by the looks of things, he would say there was more than enough for Eren to sustain himself.

  
Old troths hugged the walls of the cottage, all of them overflowing with a colourful selection of herbs and flowers. Among them were lavender, marigold, blooming sage, and a huge rosemary bush. Further around and near the backdoor, there was another garden space with tall wooden trellises and a metal arch. The area was covered in rose bushes, climbing beans, and the occasional cucumber and summer squash vine. Amongst all the roses was a stone-paved area with a small white table and a matching set of chairs.

  
Eren wandered over to one of the garden beds and put his baskets down on the ground. He sat on the edge, then leaned over to start snapping leafy stems off the different plants. Each twist of his wrist was practiced and precise, plucking off the outer leaves while leaving the rest of the plant undamaged.

  
“Can I help?” Levi asked while walking over, eyes flicking over the assortment of lettuce and spinach that was piling up in one of the baskets. 

  
“Sure, um…” Eren paused to look around the garden. “You could pick a few handfuls of beans. They’re over there near the house.”

  
Levi accepted his task with a curt nod. He didn’t have the faintest clue what he was doing, but he supposed it couldn’t be that hard. 

  
He grabbed the empty basket and headed back towards the cottage. The beans were impossible to miss. They were growing vertically on a trellis against the side of the house, vining up as they do, each plant laden with small purple flowers and long, slender beans. He realised then that the upwards growth meant that he didn’t have to bend over or sit down, and that was probably the very reason Eren had assigned him the job.

  
The beans snapped off easily, and it wasn’t long before Levi had gathered a substantial amount. He’d found it relaxing to stand out there in the sun and take his time with the harvest. Afterwards, Eren led him around the garden to collect a few cucumbers and tomatoes, which were both larger than anything he had seen at the market before.

  
They were just about done for the day when Levi glanced down at the huge red tomatoes Eren had thrown in his basket. “Do you use magic to grow these?” 

  
“Sort of,” Eren replied with a cheeky smile. He grabbed a handful of basil as they walked past a troth of herbs, the fresh and leafy scent filling the air as soon as he disturbed the plant. “I don’t use it on the plants themselves, just the soil. I make tonics and compost teas for them, too.”

  
Levi looked around with a baffled expression. “Your plants drink tea?”

  
“Not the kind you’re thinking of.” Eren laughed, then met Levi’s eyes as he put his basket down in the shade of a rose bush. “Do you want some? People tea, not plant tea.”

  
“Sure,” he answered without missing a beat. Something told him that Eren would make a damn good cup of tea, far better than whatever miserable blend he managed to scrounge up at the markets. It would be a sin to turn down such a promising opportunity.

  
“Sit here, I’ll just be a minute.” Eren flapped his hand towards the table and chairs before scampering off. He disappeared through the back of the house, leaving the door ajar behind him to gently swing on its hinges.

  
In the meantime, Levi sat on one of the chairs and made himself comfortable. The table was surrounded by rose bushes, from the classic red variety to one of snowy white. He took a moment to appreciate the flowers and quickly determined that the peach-coloured roses were his favourite. They looked soft and elegant, and, embarrassingly, reminded him of the warm pinkish hue of Eren’s lips. He probably shouldn’t be thinking such a thing about his circumstantial caregiver, a man he’d known for all of two days, but the association refused to leave him.

  
Eren would look magical with one of those flowers tucked behind his ear.

  
The backdoor creaked open again, and he watched as Eren walked out with an old wooden tray in his hands. It held a teapot with a long spout and a pair of teacups. Once placed on the table, Levi could see that the white pot was decorated with simple blue flowers and squiggly green lines, clearly hand painted. There was also a small plate of bread and a jar of dark red jam.

  
“It’s a herbal tea. Thyme and lavender, and there’s already a bit of honey in there.” Eren smiled as he sat down on the opposite chair, then proceeded to pour both cups. “It’s one of my favourites.”

  
“Sounds nice,” Levi said quietly. He looked down into his cup as Eren placed it in front of him, noticing a sweet and floral fragrance that he actually quite liked. Black tea was his regular go-to, but that was mostly due to the fact that herbal blends were often marketed as medicinal and he was wary of the potential side-effects. However, knowing that Eren had made it was enough to rid him of any reservations. He picked up the cup and blew on the steaming surface, then took a small sip of the hot liquid. It wasn’t quite as sweet as it smelled, but the flavour was well balanced and had a pleasant aftertaste of herb. “You always make your own tea?”

  
“Yeah, most of the time.” Eren slathered a bit of bread with the jam and took a bite, letting out a thoughtful hum as he chewed and eventually swallowed. “Sometimes I buy a special blend, or black tea since I don’t have the plants here, but usually I’m happy just to pick a mixture of herbs and flowers and see what happens. Only very rarely does it turn out to be a disaster.”

  
Levi scoffed into his teacup. He’d have thought it was impossible to screw up something like that, but obviously, Eren had found a way. “Well, this one tastes good at least.”

  
“I’m glad you like it,” Eren said cheerfully. He finished off his bread and started sipping at his own cup, eyes curiously glancing up at him a few times in the process. The baggy sleeves of his shirt slipped down to his elbows each time he lifted the cup to his lips, cradling it in both hands and breathing into the steam. He looked just as radiant in the sunshine as he did by the fire.

  
Levi was grateful to have a beverage on hand, as a nervous lump was quickly forming in his throat. His mind stumbled over itself while trying to think of something to say.

  
“Have you always lived in Shiganshina?”

  
“Uh, yeah,” he answered sheepishly. “I was born there. Lived with my mother until she passed away.”

  
“Do you have any other family there?” Eren’s eyes watched him over the rim of the cup as he took another sip. “I’ll be going to a market in a few days; I need some baking ingredients and meat for Mikasa. I was thinking I would go to Shiganshina, and if you wanted, I could deliver a letter to let them know where you are. I’d imagine they’d be very worried about you.”

  
Levi raised his eyebrows. He had forgotten about that, but Eren was indeed correct. It was natural to assume the worst when someone doesn’t come back from a hunting trip. “I don’t have family, but my friends would be just as concerned. I’ll write a letter for them tonight.”

  
“Great.” Eren placed his cup down on the table and started preparing another slice of bread. “Levi, um… I’m sorry to say, but I don’t think you’ll be able to return home anytime soon. The journey would be impossible with your foot as injured as it is. It might be two or three weeks before you’re in a condition to walk so far.”

  
“That’s fine,” Levi replied. It was only after he said the words and received a curious glance from Eren that he gave it a second thought. “I mean, I don’t mind staying here for a while. If that’s okay with you.”

  
Eren leaned forward to rest his chin on his palm, a shy but warm smile pulling at the corner of his lips. “I’m enjoying your company.”

  
Levi hummed and swallowed down the rest of his tea, hoping the lavender would have the calming effect it was known for. He distracted himself from Eren’s eyes by glancing around the garden, looking over the expanse of flowers and greenery until he discovered a pile of chopped logs stowed behind a raised bed. The sight gave him an idea, and he could only hope that it was a good one. “You wanted to see how I use my bow, right? One of those logs would make a good target.”

  
Eren’s eyes widened fractionally, and then they flicked over to the woodpile. “But can you do it with your injury?”

  
“My aim might be a little wonky, but I think I can manage.”

  
“If you’re sure…” Eren looked at him for confirmation, and a smile spread across his face as soon as Levi gave him a decisive nod. “Okay! I’ll go grab your things.”

  
Levi chewed on a piece of bread while watching Eren jump to his feet and disappear into the house. 

  
Now, he just had to make sure he didn’t fuck it up.

  
He grabbed his cane and got out of his seat, then slowly made his way across the grass as he searched for a suitable location. He spied a tall tree stump over by the fence, and after he had reached it, looked back to find that he had a clear shot in several directions. He quickly ruled out any that might result in damage to Eren’s property. From the stump to the potato fence was a good distance; far enough to be impressive but close enough that he could get an accurate shot.

  
It wasn’t much longer until Eren returned from the house. In his hands were Levi’s bow and quiver, and he had even remembered to fetch his arm brace and shooting glove. He bought all the equipment over and eagerly waited for instructions.

  
“Thanks,” Levi said. The tree stump was a good height for him to rest his knee on, making it so that he could get a decent stance without having to involve his injured ankle. It wasn’t the most comfortable position, but it would do for just one or two shots. 

  
He took the brace and glove from Eren, swiftly securing the protective leather on his left forearm and right hand. It felt good to be strapped up again. He rarely went a day without some amount of practice. Next, he slung his quiver over his back, pleased to see that he still had half a dozen arrows left. He made them himself, and it would’ve been a travesty if he’d lost them all while writhing around in the snow.

  
Levi finally took his bow from Eren’s hands and gave it a brief inspection. “All right. Go stand one of those logs up on the fence there.”

  
Eren nodded before hurrying off. He was clearly excited, and Levi didn’t blame him. He’d enjoyed nothing more than to watch his mother shoot when he was young and still learning. 

  
It only took Eren a few seconds to arrange the log. He stood it up on a flat-topped fence pole, fiddling with the position for a moment before glancing back at him.

  
“That’s good,” Levi said. He reached over his shoulder to pull an arrow from his quiver, then held his bow downwards and nocked it on the string. When he looked up, he saw that Eren was waiting expectantly by the fence. “You need to stand back.”

  
“Oh! Yeah, of course,” Eren chuckled. He moved back a fair distance, well out of the line of fire, then continued staring with eager eyes.

  
Levi felt nervous as he lifted his bow. It was rare for him to shoot in front of an audience, and even on those occasions, they never watched him as keenly as Eren did. He was used to hunting alone in the wilderness, with nothing to witness his mistakes but the birds and trees. 

  
To steady his hands, Levi imagined that he was alone in the forest, shooting not at wood, but an unmoving deer. 

  
His movements had to be slow as not to startle it.

  
He took a deep breath, keeping a firm grip on his bow while pulling the string back to his cheek. It sat taut between his fingers, arrow level and steady, and his eyes narrowed as he focused in on his target. He waited for the wind to still. He stared down the line of fire until he was sure of his shot. Then, he released.

  
His arrow cut clean through the air, flying fast before piercing the wood with a loud thunk. The log fell off the fence, but it was no matter. Levi already knew that his aim had been dead-on. 

  
He was almost expecting to hear the throes of a dying animal. Instead, he heard Eren.

  
“Woah! That was so cool!” Eren ran over a huge smile on his face, nearly causing Levi to lose his balance when he grabbed onto his arm in a spur of excitement. “And so fast! I could’ve missed it just by blinking.”

  
“Good thing you didn’t,” Levi said, a heat rising in his face as Eren’s hands lingered on his arm and shoulder. The contact was friendly, but right on the verge of intimate. He risked a glance at Eren’s face, which was as close as it had ever been, and his throat tightened when he met the delighted green eyes that were gazing back at him.

  
They stayed like that for a moment, until Eren’s grin faded into a look of realisation. He let go of his arm and took a step back, head turning away to hide the blush that was creeping into his cheeks. “Sorry... got a bit carried away.”

  
Levi cleared his throat and looked over at the fence. He considered telling Eren it was fine, that he didn’t mind the touching at all, but he decided against it. He wanted to make the situation less awkward, not more so. “I’ll do another. Line three up this time.”

  
Eren hurried over and placed a log on each of the three consecutive fence posts. 

  
Once he had moved off to the side, Levi drew another arrow and nocked it on his bowstring. It was time to test his rapid fire. He had been practicing it recently, even though the skill was mostly obsolete in hunting. On the off chance that he missed the kill-shot or had to use his bow in combat, he thought it would be useful if he were able to fire another arrow only seconds after the last.

  
Levi went through the same motions. He raised his bow and pulled the sinew to his cheek, already considering his next movement while aiming at the left-most log. He shot the arrow and immediately reached back into his quiver, having the next one nocked and drawn only a moment after the first log had hit the ground. He pivoted to the right and fired again, reaching for his final arrow to the sound of splitting wood and reloading just as quick. The third arrow shot from his bow in quick succession, all of them being fired within only a few seconds.

  
To Levi’s frustration, he’d been unable to turn properly due to his knee resting on the tree stump. His third arrow missed its mark as a result, barely scraping the side of the log before flying over the fence and out into the snowy forest.

  
Nevertheless, his efforts were rewarded with an enthusiastic round of applause. Eren came over to him again, smiling just as brightly, but he held back on the arm-grabbing this time. “I didn’t know it was possible to fire so fast! Wow, you weren’t kidding when you said you were good.”

  
Levi sighed while snapping open the straps of his arm brace. “I missed.” 

  
“Really? I was looking more at you than the targets,” Eren said with an air of nonchalance. He took Levi’s bow and equipment from him, freeing up his hands so that he could right his leg and collect his walking stick. “Well, two deer are more than enough. Who cares if the third got away?”

  
That sounded like something his mother would say.

  
Levi hummed in agreement, then made his way over to the fence to collect his arrows. One by one, he held the logs still with his cane and tugged his arrows from the targets. He’d already accepted that his final shot was lost to the forest. “Too bad these deer are made of wood.”

  
Eren laughed behind him. “Salad tonight.”

* * *

The next few days passed like a pleasant breeze. They fell into a steady routine, the mornings spent doing simple chores and the afternoons out in the garden. In the evenings, they ate dinner together before reading books or playing cards, all accompanied by lively conversation and a bit of friendly banter.

  
Some days, he even got to watch Eren practice his craft. He made potions and salves, herbal powers and charms of fortune, and Levi had been quick to settle into his role of the unlikely assistant. He passed Eren what he asked for and held things when necessary. They were items that Eren hoped to sell at the market, exchange for goods or even rare herbs that he could incorporate in a product and turn into a profit. It was a smart business model, although Eren insisted that he would never seek to make himself wealthy off the misfortune of others. Only enough to get by, he’d said.

  
Today, Levi was sitting out on the porch bench with a cup of chamomile tea. He’d taken to trying all the different herbal blends that were stowed away in Eren’s pantry. They were all new to him, and while he found some to be too weak or leafy tasting, he did enjoy most of them.

  
Snow was falling outside of the climate bubble that protected Eren’s house. It was a peculiar thing to see, the little flecks of ice appearing to gravitate away from the property as they were repelled by magical forces. The snow was building up in the forest, putting to rest any of the remaining plants that were unlucky enough to have grown on the other side of the barrier.

  
Levi was tense. Watching the snow settle on the ground relaxed him some, but it was unable to rid his mind of worry. The day had come for Eren to pay a visit to Shiganshina. 

  
There was nothing wrong with that in and of itself; Levi was simply displeased that he would have to stay behind. He knew all too well that crooks and bandits liked to roam the paths outside his hometown. Their presence was typically less noticeable in winter. Many of them thought it too precarious, but some saw it as an opportunity to accost travellers who were weakened by the cold.

  
In only six days, Eren had become a constant in his life. Just thinking about him going off on his own made Levi want to escort him through the forest with a drawn bow. But that was impossible, and the fact remained that they needed more supplies. 

  
All he could do was sit around and brood while Eren prepared for the journey.

  
“Gods, it’s hot,” Eren said as he stepped out onto the porch. He was wearing a winter coat, insulated boots, and a pair of brown leather gloves. On top of it all was a dark green cloak that hung down to his ankles and what looked like a hand-knitted scarf wrapped around his neck. 

  
The only downside to the climate bubble was the fact that he had to dress for winter in a place that felt like summer.

  
“Are you sure you need to go?” Levi looked over Eren’s cloth-smothered form. He had a pack on his back and a clunky bag in his hand; containing all his products that he had made for this very occasion. “I know how to build rabbit traps. That would make a good meal for Mikasa.”

  
As Eren had put up with his complaints all through the previous evening, it came as no surprise when he simply chuckled and made his way down the steps. “Maybe you can work on it while I’m gone.”

  
Levi sighed and grabbed his cane from where it was resting against the chair. He got up and followed Eren down the stairs, still feeling rather useless despite almost being able to walk on his own leg again. The swelling had gone down substantially, the bruises had turned an unappealing yellow, but it was best to stay off it for a while longer.

  
Once they had reached the line of snow, Eren pulled his hood up and turned around to face him. “Do you have that letter?”

  
“Yeah.” Levi dug into his pocket and retrieved a small envelope, then slotted it into Eren’s awaiting hand. “I wrote an address on the back.”

  
Eren nodded as he turned the envelope over in his palm, checking what had been written before tucking it into his coat. “I’m hoping to return before nightfall, but I may stay at an inn if it gets too late or the snow becomes too heavy.”

  
“Be safe,” Levi said with a fleeting smile.

  
Eren stepped through the barrier and into the snow, taking two or three steps towards the path before turning around once more. Specks of glittering ice had already settled on the top of his hood. “You don’t need to worry about me, Levi. Magic is swifter than even an arrow.”

  
Levi tried to remember that as he watched Eren wander down the path and disappear into the trees. Of course, Eren was more than capable of taking care of himself. He was a witch, after all, and self-defence would surely be an exception to the vow of harming none. However, Levi’s desire to protect him had nothing to do with whether Eren needed it or not.

  
Now on his own, Levi walked back to the house and tried to find something to preoccupy himself with. He took his teacup to the kitchen and rinsed it out, washing their breakfast dishes while he was at it, then let out a dreary sigh as he glanced around the living room. It looked the same as usual, with plants and open books scattered across the coffee table and Mikasa curled up in her favourite armchair.

  
Despite his best efforts, she still didn’t like him much.

  
He limped over to the couch, then sat down as he looked over the collection of splayed books. Most of them were what Eren had been using the night before, filled with recipes and instructions for herbal remedies, along with a plant identification guide that he had taken out into the woods while foraging. It was a joy to watch him work, with that passion in his eyes and a tiny smile on his face. 

  
There was also a novel that he’d seen Eren reading over the past few days. The book was closed with a thin strap of leather marking a page, the burgundy cover labelled with cursive gold text that Levi found impossible to read. Out of curiosity, he picked it up and started flipping through the pages. It seemed to be one of those fantasy stories that Eren had mentioned.

  
He reclined back into the couch and started reading from the beginning. The story wasn’t half bad, and he managed to get halfway through the book in only a few hours despite running into a few words that he wasn’t familiar with. A royal knight was charged with rescuing the King’s daughter, who had been kidnapped by a group of treasonous peasants and held at ransom. It was cliché and wholly contrived, a bit too whimsical for his taste, but he enjoyed the battle scenes and vivid descriptions of an imaginary world. 

  
He could be a knight. Some of them wielded bows, didn’t they?

  
Levi continued reading until he was disturbed by Mikasa. She sat and meowed at him from the armchair, causing his eyes to flick up from the page. “What?”

  
Mikasa stared at him, meowing again, then jumped down from the chair and wandered into the kitchen. She rubbed her face against the leg of the table, raising her tail with a dainty swish before looking back at him once more.

  
“It can’t be dinner time already,” Levi said. He glanced out the nearest window, finding that it was indeed getting later in the afternoon. Reading sure made the time fly by. 

  
It was earlier than when Mikasa usually had her dinner, but there couldn't be any harm in feeding her now. He placed the novel back down on the table, careful not to dislodge Eren’s bookmark, then grabbed his cane and made his way over to the kitchen.

  
All that was left for her were some meagre off-cuts and a bit of dry kibble. Another benefit of Eren’s garden was that it would attract all manner of insects and small animals who were trying to escape the cold, and so there was nothing stopping Mikasa from seeking out additional food if needed. Levi placed the bowl down on the floor, then attempted to pet Mikasa’s little head as she dug into her dinner. However, a low growl convinced him that it wasn’t such a good idea.

  
With that done, Levi decided to make himself useful and find something to do around the house. He cleaned up the kitchen, dusted off the bookshelves, and brought in the laundry that Eren had hung out yesterday. He even cut a handful of peach roses to replace the wilted flowers on the dining table.

  
The sun had well and truly set by the time he accepted that Eren wouldn’t be returning until tomorrow. 

  
It was for the best. He’d rather have Eren stay somewhere safe than attempt to walk back in the dark. In fact, he wouldn’t be surprised if Farlan and Isabell had offered Eren a bed once he’d delivered that letter to them. The note didn’t say much; Levi’s writing had an even greater brevity than his speech. He had written that he was alive. Injured, but in no peril. There was no need to worry, and there was definitely no need to come and collect him.

  
Levi could sit up all night if he allowed himself. Eren always advised against it, always told him that he had to maintain a regular sleep schedule. 

_  
Plants grow at night; people heal while they sleep._

  
As if hearing it from the witch himself, Levi let out a shallow sigh and peeled himself away from the dining chair. He’d been enjoying another interesting tea; a blend of rose petals and citrus peels, in which he had further added some of the milder pain medication he’d been given. The powder made him drowsy, but he was glad to have graduated from that vile green gunk. 

  
Levi made his way into the bedroom and striped down to his underwear. It was far better than risking his pants snagging on his ankle, and he enjoyed the silken texture of fur against his skin. He sat down on the bed, then looked around the room for what, by now, must be the hundredth time. 

  
Some things had shifted as Eren had used them, but the desk and tabletops remained a cluttered mess. _Orderly chaos_ , Eren had called it, right after he’d scolded Levi for attempting to organise the haphazardly strewn items. He kept his own dwelling in far better order, but he didn’t mind it all that much. At least the things laying around were of some use.

  
His eyelids were already heavy from the medication he’d taken. The powder did a good job of helping him sleep. Tonight, he would certainly need it. With his cane left to lean against the nightstand, Levi extinguished his lantern and slid into bed. A faint glow made its way through the window, both from the waxing moon and the lantern he’d left out on the front porch just in case Eren was to return before dawn.

  
It was strange to think that Eren was currently in his hometown. That, along with the letter he had written, reminded Levi that there was still a world outside of the summery cottage he’d come to know. The day would come that he would have to return to Shiganshina. To those dirty streets, his cold and empty house, the stale air and a diet consisting almost entirely of meat, bread, and potatoes.

  
He would miss this place. This single patch of sunshine amongst a wasteland of frostbitten trees. Where flowers don’t die, and where mother nature bends the knee to a beautiful witch whose heart was filled with kindness.

  
Levi would miss him most of all.

* * *

The next morning found Levi groggy and tired. His body wasn’t accustomed to sleeping in; he often woke with the sun to get his errands done before the streets became too crowded. 

  
His drowsiness fell away once he heard the distinct clattering of plates.

  
With a buzz in his chest, Levi got out of bed and dressed himself in a different pair of pants and a knitted jumper. He’d been given free access to the wardrobe and drawers. The style was different to how he usually dressed, but he did enjoy the softness of all the hand-made garments Eren owned. He grabbed his cane and quietly made his way into the living room, where he was unable to stop himself from pausing at the corner. 

  
Eren was busying himself in the kitchen, having already changed into lighter clothes since his return. He was putting a few things in the pantry, filling up jars and containers, all while humming a quaint little tune to himself. The song sounded familiar. Eren must have passed by the busking musicians on his way out of Shiganshina.

  
“Morning,” Levi said, softly as not to give him a fright.

  
“Oh, hey.” Eren looked over his shoulder and smiled. “I hope I didn’t wake you.”

  
“You didn’t.” He walked closer, eyes flicking over all the things Eren had brought back with him. Wrapped meat for Mikasa, flour and sugar, a little basket of eggs. There was more left to be unpacked, and he allowed himself to hope that Eren had purchased some mutton or beef for another stew.

  
“Well, now that you’re up... I’ve got something special for us to share.” Eren reached into the pack that was sitting on the counter. He pulled out a cloth-wrapped object, then placed it down on the table and unfolded the fabric to reveal a small wheel of cheese. “I bought some wine and fresh bread, too. Baked this morning. It smelt so good I had to have a bit off the end while walking home.”

  
Levi pulled out a chair and took his usual spot at the dining table. He was tired, but still happy to listen to Eren’s smooth and calming voice. It made him feel relaxed, comfortable and at home, like when he heard his mother singing through the kitchen window while shooting his bow outside. 

  
He really should stop associating Eren with such intimate memories. 

  
“Your trip went well, then?”

  
“I sold a lot,” Eren said. He laid a plate of thinly sliced bread on the table, followed by a cup of wine each. It was a red variety - with a tart and fruity fragrance and a purplish hue. “The markets were really busy. I guess everyone was trying to stock up on the last of the fruit and veg. It was good for me, though; high traffic even in my dingy little corner.”

  
Something thrummed in Levi’s stomach when instead of sitting across from him, Eren pulled a chair around the table and sat to his right. Close enough that Eren had to glance beneath the table to make sure he didn’t knock his ankle. Levi swallowed whatever tension had gathered in his throat, then reached for his cup of wine and gave it a small sip. He probably shouldn’t be drinking so soon after waking up – or while taking medication, for that matter – but if Eren thought it was okay, he wasn’t going to decline. Wine wasn’t something he could get his hands on often.

  
“Pain relief is always the most popular. It’s a shame how expensive it can be from a regular pharmacy. Then you get the richer folk; they tend to like all the fancy charms and beauty products.” Eren pressed a knife into the wheel of cheese, cutting himself a little wedge that he then laid flat on a slice of bread. “It’s nice meeting people from all walks of life.” 

  
Levi agreed with a faint hum. He was keenly aware of Eren’s leg resting only half an inch from his own, and he was just barely able to feel the magnetic warmth of it. Everything about Eren had become more distracting as the days went on. His presence; his laughter. How he put sunflowers to shame with his radiant smile. All the little details that lingered in Levi’s mind and came to him at the strangest of times. While he laid in bed at night, when he bathed, as he stared down into his mug of plum coloured wine, and even as he watched Eren’s grinning lips part around a slice of bread. 

  
“We could barely afford my mother’s medicine when she fell ill.” Levi looked down at his cup and slowly turned it in his fingers. “There was no lovely witch who would trade for meat or pelts. Dispensaries only took coin; it was hard to keep up.”

  
“That’s why I do what I do. And your mom, if only I…” Eren trailed off, eyes distant as he stared at the half-eaten bread slice in his hand. It was a pointless thing to say. They both knew that. He blinked over to Levi, the corner of his lips hooking into a smile. “Lovely?”

  
Had he said that?

  
“Uh, yeah.” Levi cleared his throat and reached for the knife, lips pressing together as he cut himself a slither of cheese. The action was enough to distract him from the turbulence brewing in his chest. He had to wonder if Eren had cast some kind of spell on him – although, he knew that wasn’t the case. “Did Farlan offer you a bed?”

  
“He did, but I decided to stay at the Sina Inn instead. The owner was a friend of my mom’s. She always gives me a good room free of charge.” Eren picked up his mug, cupping it in both hands, and rested back in his chair while taking an appreciative sip. “The town looked beautiful. The flowers weren’t in the square like I remembered, but all that snow made the streets sparkle like something magical. Living out here, I find myself missing the oddest things. The brick roads, those signs that swing above all the stores, even the streetlamps. I wouldn’t give my garden up for anything, but sometimes I miss feeling like I’m a part of civilisation.”

  
“It’s not so great when you experience it every day,” Levi said. “I prefer it out here. The woods are quiet.”

  
“It can get a bit too quiet.” Eren placed his elbow on the table and rested his cheek on the flat of his fist. He had a soft look in his eyes, as if lost in a pleasant cloud of thought, and they slowly drifted over to his face as Eren tilted his head into his knuckles. “When I’m alone, that is.”

  
Levi didn’t know what to do with himself. With Eren gazing at him the way he was, his muscles were filled with so much nerve that he found it impossible to move. He just wanted to stare back for a while longer. Enjoy those doe-like eyes, linger on the passing thought of seeing them closer, and then proceed to wonder if that was actually such a bad idea.

  
Levi focused on Eren’s hand as it settled on top of the table. His stomach tied itself in a knot in the few seconds it took Eren’s palm to shift along the wood and thoughtlessly bump into the back of his hand, pinky brushing over Levi’s knuckles that were protruding due to his grip on his cup. The touch was barely felt, but there was no doubt that it had been intentional.

  
Eren’s eyes had fallen to stare down at the tabletop, but their glassy expression suggested that he wasn’t really looking at anything. His hand pulled away slightly, retreating towards his own mug in a moment of uncertainty.

  
Levi didn’t spare a second for thought. His body moved on its own, reflexive almost, a jitter settling into his fingertips as let go of his cup and silently inched his hand across the table. He wanted to feel the spark of Eren’s skin again. The sides of their hands brushed together, and Eren’s fingers twitched closer to his own once their pinkies had overlapped. 

  
Levi’s pulse was loud in his ears when he looked up at Eren’s face. Green eyes were staring back at him, filled with a curious vulnerability that made Levi’s heart leap and bound like a startled deer. He must have had a similar expression on his own face, for when their fingers gently curled into each other, Eren dropped his gaze and took a steadying breath.

  
One of Eren’s fingers traced over Levi’s, and his eyes then found the vase that was sitting in the middle of the table. Eren’s voice was merely a whisper when he asked, “did you pick those?” 

  
With reluctance, Levi tore his attention away from Eren’s blushing cheeks to look at the bunch of peach-coloured roses. The flowers helped to ease his nerves, but only until he remembered what they reminded him of. Eren’s soft-looking lips; sipping on tea and smiling in the sunshine. He couldn’t bring himself to reply. He just wanted to preserve this moment, the fragile silence that wrapped tighter around his chest with every shift of Eren’s fingers.

  
Levi swallowed as he looked back to Eren’s face, taking in the tenderness of his eyes and the tiny tug at the corner of his lips. He did look beautiful next to those roses. Eren met his gaze again, and only then did Levi realise just how close they were sitting to each other. The proximity put a few questionable ideas in his head. Such as, what would happen if he were to lean forward? Was that something that Eren would want? He’d spent the past few days telling himself not to mistake Eren’s kindness for affection, but what if it had been exactly that?

  
Eren quietly cleared his throat, then licked his lips as he held the side of Levi’s hand a little tighter. He opened his mouth to say something, but before he could get a word out, they were interrupted by a loud bang and clatter. Mikasa had knocked Eren’s grocery bag off the counter, and she then darted across the room with a pork sausage dangling from her mouth.

  
“Mika, no!” Eren pushed out his chair and jumped to his feet, shouting a bit more as he chased her towards the front door.

  
Levi was left in a state of shock. The noise had startled him, and all he could do was sit there with an incredulous look on his face as Mikasa ran away with their dinner. 

  
He knew that cat had it out for him.

  
Once Mikasa had vanished outside with the pilfered sausage, Eren gave up his chase and wandered back towards the table. He scratched his head and chuckled. “Well, we don’t have much use for it anymore. It was silly of me to leave everything out like that.”

  
“Her lucky day,” Levi said bleakly, lamenting the moment that had been lost. He half-hoped that Eren would re-join him at the table, but instead, he went and cleaned up the spilt contents of his bag before continuing to put everything away in the cupboards. 

  
Perhaps it was for the best. Eren probably felt just as awkward as he did; trying to come to terms with what had just transpired and all the things they may have been just seconds away from.

  
While Eren took care of the groceries, Levi distracted himself by finally sampling some cheese. He picked up the small slice he’d cut earlier and took a bite. The flavour was nice, mild with a faint tang, and the texture was somewhat crumbly. He didn’t know nearly enough about cheese to guess which variety it might be. That didn’t stop him from enjoying it, though. He had some more on a slice of bread, sipping on his wine in-between mouthfuls until Eren finished up with his task. 

  
“All done,” Eren sighed as he closed the cupboard doors. Everything was where it belonged, now safe from the elements and Mikasa’s keen little nose. “So… were you serious about making those rabbit traps?”

  
Levi glanced over at him with a raised brow. “If you have the materials.”

  
“I should. There’s some spare lumber in the shed, nails and tools. I’m not sure what else is involved, but you’re free to take a look.” Eren came over to the table and wrapped up the remaining cheese, putting it away for later along with the bread and wine. “It’d be handy if I could catch food for Mikasa. We have quite a few hares in the area. She chases them out of the garden, but often they’re too quick for her.”

  
Levi let out an amused scoff. He wasn’t surprised that Eren had a bit of a rabbit infestation; this place would be a herbivore’s oasis in the dead of winter. Maybe that was why Eren had adopted a cat in the first place. A drove of wild hares would tear through his garden in a matter of hours. “All right. Let’s see what you’ve got.”

  
They headed out to the dingy shed that was tucked around the side of the house. It was a flimsy thing, with half-rotted wood panels and a corrugated iron roof that was caked with rust. When his leg had fully healed, Levi would be sure to build him a new one. There was a surprisingly vast array of material inside the shed, all the tools and lumber Eren had promised along with a multitude of random items. Shovels, a rake, empty plant pots, and even a fishing rod. That was another thing he’d have to try out one day.

  
Since Eren didn’t have much in ways of a workbench, they carried all the material they needed over to the tree stump. It was sturdy enough to do the trick.

  
Levi laid his cane down on the grass. He could walk well enough without it, but Eren still growled at him whenever he attempted to go more than a few feet on his own. Then, he looked down at the small pile of rectangular planks that they had rescued from the shed. It’d been a while since he’d last built a trap, but if he kept the design simple, it shouldn’t be too difficult. The wood was already a suitable shape and size – perhaps leftover boards from the construction of the shed. 

  
Eren stood on the other side of the stump, hands clasped in front of him and looking like a summer dream in that flowy beige shirt. “What should I do?”

  
“Grab a few nails,” Levi said while picking up the first two planks of wood. He stood the first up on its side, then held the second over the top so that they could form a corner. “Hold this in place.”

  
Eren did as he was told, and the construction began. They worked well as a team, with Eren passing him nails when required and supporting the wood as he hammered. Time went fast, and it wasn’t long before they had put together the four sides and were left with a long open-ended rectangle. Levi also carved out a pair of grooves in the walls and took a small chunk out of the roof.

  
Eren was fascinated by their little project, and he had a curious look on his face once Levi said that the main structure was complete. “How does this catch rabbits? It’ll just run in one end and out the other.”

  
“There’s still parts to be added,” Levi said. All one really needed was a tunnel box and some kind of closing mechanism. “We’ll put a trap door on one end and metal mesh over the other. The rabbit will think it’s a log and set off the door once it walks in.”

  
“Why mesh? Wouldn’t it be better to just have another wall there?”

  
“Mesh lets you see inside.” Levi tossed the hammer down on the grass, then picked up the small square of wood that he’d cut earlier. He enjoyed doing this with Eren. Not just because of the help he offered, but also the conversation and the genuine interest he showed. With Eren, it hardly even felt like work. “And animals are less inclined to enter if they think it’s a dead end. The light coming through makes it look like there’s a way out.” 

  
“Smart,” Eren said while crouching down to peer through the tunnel. It was just the right size for a rabbit, which would hopefully prevent any larger mammals from getting stuck. “I’m guessing you put food inside as bait. We can use stuff from my garden, since they seem to love it so much.”

  
“Sounds like a plan.” Levi idly turned the wood in his hands, but he stopped once Eren peaked over the top of the tunnel to smile at him. It was warm and carefree, complimenting the brightness in his eyes. Eren didn’t need to use magic for Levi to feel a storm raging in his chest. All it took was one of those charming smiles. 

  
Everything about Eren struck him differently now. It was as if, while holding hands at that rickety little dining table, he had looked over the ledge of a cliff and was now filled with the desire to jump.

  
“Let’s get this finished,” Levi said, his heart stuttering once more as Eren straightened up with an excited hum. How he would survive the next week or so, Levi had no idea. “Do you have a drill?”

  
“Sure do!” Eren hurried over to the shed, then returned with a small roll of fencing mesh and a hand-cranked drill. It was speckled with dirt and rust, clearly not having been used for some time. He blew a bit of dust off the metal and handed it over. “I’m pretty sure it still works.”

  
Levi gave the handle a few twirls. The mechanism could do with a dab of oil, but it would be fine for now. He used the drill and a few other tools to make a penny-sized hole in one end of the box lid. Then, he used some of Eren’s old mesh to seal off the back and slid the front door into place.

  
Now it was time for the trigger. There were a few ways to make one, but he would have to go for something basic since he didn’t have all his equipment on him. He cut a groove in a stick and poked it through the hole in the top, then hammered a fence nail into the top of the trap door. Wire was attached to the top of them both, and a small stump of wood was placed on the lid to hold the chord up.

  
When all was said and done, he was left with something that looked a bit like a seesaw. The stick and door elevated on their side, and the log in the middle applying tension to the wire to hold them both up. The stick was nocked into the side of the hole, preventing it from lifting any higher and consequently keeping the door open, but that would change if something were to disturb it. Eren wasn’t quite convinced.

  
“Look,” Levi said, pointing inside the tunnel box. “When something goes in to get the food, it’ll knock the stick out of place and make the door fall.”

  
Eren almost bumped his head into Levi’s as he leaned down to peer inside. He worried his lip and hummed with scepticism. “Can you show me?”

  
“Sure.” Levi collected a small rock from the ground, then threw it firmly into the box. He missed and had to try again, and this time, the rock smacked into the stick and dislodged it from the wood. Due to the tension on the wire, the stick flew up out of the box and, as a result, caused the door to fall closed with a soft thunk.

  
“Woah!” With a spring in his step, Eren circled around the trap to reset the device. He set it off a few more times, simply by bumping the outer part of the stick with his hand and watching the door slide shut. “It actually works.”

  
Levi scoffed and picked up his cane. “Doubting my hunting skills?”

  
“Never,” Eren replied with a mischievous smile. He set the trap off once more, the clunk of wood leaving his invisible rabbit securely locked inside. “I just didn’t think it could be so simple.”

  
“There are more complicated designs. I’d usually go for something sturdier; a trigger system like this wouldn’t stand up against the snow.”

  
Eren nodded along, standing back and crossing his arms once he was finally done playing with the box. “This seems a lot better than that awful trap that bit your leg.”

  
“It is,” Levi said. He was still waiting for those savage things to fall out of fashion. “A good hunter respects their prey and avoids needless suffering.”

  
“Definitely. That’s why I’ve never used magic to control the rabbits; it wouldn’t be fair to them.”

  
Levi hummed in agreement. He was pleased that Eren held the same morals as himself - even though a magical rabbit box would’ve been pretty damn cool. If there was anything to say about that young man, it was that he had a good heart.

  
“All right, I’ve got some things to do around here. There are some seedlings that need a housing upgrade.” Eren smiled whimsically. “You can help if you want. Or not, it’s no trouble to me.”

  
The longing ache in Lev’s chest would see him follow Eren to the ends of the Earth. To the other side of the property was a comparatively simple request. “I’ll help.”

  
They spent the rest of the day tending to the garden. The climate bubble was warm, but the sun outside was still that of winter and didn’t threaten to burn them. They moved the seedlings into larger pots that permitted them to grow freely, although the task involved a lot more dirt than Levi had anticipated. They stopped for a cup of tea and a light snack, then did a round of the property harvesting all the fruit and vegetables that were ready to be picked.

  
Time went quickly, and Levi was surprised when Eren said he was going inside to start dinner. Levi helped with that, too. He peeled potatoes and watched how Eren prepared the meat, finding himself rather impressed by the witch’s culinary know-how. 

  
Everything went in the pot, and by nightfall, they were able to sit down and enjoy a delicious stew and their leftover wine. 

* * *

It was later that night when Levi emerged from the bathroom, opting to go without his cane for only brief walks around the house. He preferred to bathe in the evenings – something that was usually off the table in Winter. 

  
He walked into the living room, dressed in a pair of sleeping pants and a short sleeve shirt. Barefoot; another luxury afforded to him by Eren’s magical pocket of warmth. The room was dimly lit, a sole lantern flickering away on the coffee table and illuminating the black ball of fluff that had fallen asleep in the armchair. Mikasa had been curled up in Eren’s lap when he went into the bathroom, idly grooming herself as he flicked through the final pages of his book. 

  
Eren must have gone elsewhere. 

  
Levi padded around the house, poking his head into the bedrooms and kitchen before wandering back out into the living room. Strange. His curiosity was starting to move onto the realm of concern when he noticed a faint light shining out the kitchen window. Eren was gardening at this hour?

  
Levi went over to the back door and cracked it open, his eyes immediately drawn to the lantern on the ground and the shadowy figure sitting beside it. The air was chilly, but not enough to stop him from stepping outside and walking over to see what he was doing. Soft grass tickled his feet, running between his toes and compacting beneath his heels. Once he reached the lantern, he saw that Eren was sitting with his eyes closed, a variety of twinkling rocks spread out in front him. 

  
“Taking a nap?”

  
A smile cracked across Eren’s face, and his eyes opened only a moment later. “Meditating.”

  
“Oh.” Levi glanced around and noted that they were somewhere near the rose garden. The sky was remarkably clear, clustered with stars, but the most striking feature was the full moon that was shining down onto the grass. “Should I leave?”

  
“No, it’s okay. I’m pretty much done now.” Eren gave him a warm glance, then moved some of his rocks to clear a space next to him.

  
Levi accepted the invitation, carefully stepping around the lantern to sit down on the grass. He sat closer than he usually would. The low light gave him an extra bit of confidence, and it seemed to pay off when Eren had no obvious reaction to their knees bumping together.

  
They sat in silence for a minute or two, with Levi leaning back on his hands as he took in the night sky. He couldn’t remember the last time he just sat outside and stargazed. It wasn’t something he ever thought to do, but now, it felt like one of the most exciting things in the world. Although, that probably had more to do with who was sitting beside him than the stars themselves.

  
“So,” Levi began, ignoring the tightness of his throat and the perspiration gathering on his palms. “What’s with the rocks?”

  
“They’re crystals,” Eren said, voice but a whisper in the night air. “I’m charging them in the moonlight. It helps restore their natural energies.”

  
Levi nodded slowly. His eyes wandered over the scattered crystals, each one glinting a different colour as they caught in the light. He remembered seeing a few crystals lying around the house. While curious, he decided not to ask about what type of energy a plain old rock could ever hope to possess. It was clear that Eren had a connection to nature that he couldn’t possibly comprehend. Eren was special, had magic coursing through his veins, and that was all Levi needed to know. “Does it do the same for you?”

  
Eren let out a content sigh, shoulders relaxing from his meditation pose as his hands settled on his knees. “Yeah, in a way.”

  
Levi hummed and looked over at him. It certainly seemed to be doing something. Eren’s face was awash in moonlight, the silver hues caressing his skin like the finest of silk, and then there was the dim lantern light flickering in the reflection of his eyes. He’d never looked so enchanting; like something truly ethereal. 

  
It was a sight that made Levi choke up.

  
He glanced down to the hand that was resting atop Eren’s knee. Eren had been the brave one last time, and he supposed that meant it was his turn now. With a deep breath, Levi reached out to lay his hand over Eren’s, taking those jutting knuckles in his palm and soaking up their warmth.

  
The response was swift; Eren parted his fingers to let Levi’s fall between them, and then he turned to meet his eyes. What befell them was a precious silence, something tender and knowing, as if everything that needed to be said was exchanged along with the heat of their hands. _Thank you, but I still need you._

  
Eren shuffled closer to him, a little smile tugging at his lips as their shoulders pressed together.

  
Levi couldn’t turn back now. His heart was hammering in his chest, the anticipation similar to when he was staring down the line of a drawn arrow. With Eren so close to him, touching him, glowing in the moonlight and receptive of his advances, there was only one thing that he could think of. Those peach-rose lips.

  
Levi swallowed his nerves and leaned in, his fear all but falling away when he saw Eren do the same. They met in the middle, tightening their grip one each other’s hands as their lips gently pressed together. Eren’s skin was soft and warm, dry from the evening air but inviting all the same, moving against him in a way that was both sweet and eager. Levi repaid him in kind; the sound of his own pulse fading into the distance as he left more light kisses on Eren’s lips.

  
Levi didn’t even think to stop himself. He was lost in the moment, beholden to the spark that Eren had ignited in his chest, and so he moved to deepen their kiss without so much as a second thought. His lips pressed firmer against Eren’s, caressing them with fluid movements until he was greeted by the tip of Eren’s tongue. He welcomed it with his own, gradually sliding his tongue into Eren’s mouth and allowing him to do the same. Their tongues twisted together, each stroke slow with passion, and soon their hands were wandering up each other’s arms as their bodies drew closer.

  
Levi’s skin was all too hot against the fresh air. Now that he had tasted Eren, experienced the softness of his lips and the silken heat of his tongue, he felt as though he could never get enough. He just wanted to cherish this man; hold him tight and bring to life all the things he’d struggled not to think about.

  
Perhaps Eren felt that, too. He broke their kiss with a gentle sigh, his tongue sweeping over his lips as he gazed at Levi with hazy eyes. “Let’s go inside.”

  
Levi sucked in a deep breath. Then, he nodded.

  
They got up and walked inside, taking the lantern but leaving the grass riddled with crystals. Eren’s hand remained on his upper arm, gently pinching the end of his sleeve and guiding him through the house that he knew just as well as his own. It seemed to take forever, their quiet journey through the kitchen and living room, and Levi’s heart felt like it was trying to crawl up his throat by the time Eren opened the door to the bedroom.

  
The room was dark, a thin slither of moonlight creeping through a crack in the curtains, but the walls warmed right up once they entered with the lantern. Eren placed it precariously on the end of the desk and turned to face him.

  
Levi prided himself on being forthright, and perhaps that was why he found himself reaching for Eren’s shadowed face as he stepped forward. Their lips slotted together again, mouths parting and heads tilting to pick up exactly where they had left off. His hand hooked around the back of Eren’s neck as he delved deeper into his mouth, seeking out Eren’s tongue and slowly massaging it with his own. He couldn’t get enough of this man. This beautiful, charming man who tasted of the mint and lavender tea they’d enjoyed after dinner.

  
Levi didn’t know when his attraction to Eren had materialised, whether it was when he saw his capacity for kindness or during that first meal they shared, but the feeling had now rooted itself so deep in Levi’s chest that he couldn’t imagine life without him. Without their biscuits and tea, a house that smelt of fragrant herbs and freshly baked bread. The way that Eren helped him find beauty in the mundane.

  
Levi breathed in through his nose and shifted his hand into Eren’s hair, kissing him firm and slow as their tongues kept sliding together. Eren’s hands were grasping him in return. Fingers dug into his shoulder and touched the side of his neck, the hot breathes against his cheek only getting heavier and more frequent.

  
Levi’s passion naturally progressed into arousal. His tongue swirled around Eren’s once more, and he then hummed as broke the kiss and stepped back to look at him. Levi would never forget that expression he saw on Eren’s face. Soft, open; lips damp and swollen, eyes lidded and filled with a gentle kind of longing. He swallowed dryly. “Do you want to stop?”

  
Eren moved closer. “No.”

  
“Neither do I,” Levi whispered. He grabbed the hem of his shirt and pulled it up over his head, allowing the lantern light to carve out all the small and rugged scars on his torso. Eren had seen it all before, peeled the clothes off Levi’s cold and unconscious body, but that didn’t deter him from taking another long look. 

  
Eren seemed to stumble over his next breath. There was a fire in his eyes as he reached for the collar of his own shirt, fingers popping open the two neck buttons before ridding himself of the garment altogether. Eren’s skin sat taut on his lean frame; arms toned but slender, his jutting clavicles connecting beautifully to the tendons in the neck. 

  
They gravitated towards each other, both taking half a step until their chests pressed together and their lips reconnected. Their tongues moved with more hunger, fuelled by the heat of bare skin and the eagerness they shared, now twisting around in each other’s mouths with a sense of desperation.

  
Levi wrapped his arms around Eren’s back, fondly rubbing the heel of his palm into the lower half of Eren’s spine before sliding up to his shoulder blades. Every inch of skin was just as smooth as the last. Levi wanted to touch it all; to study Eren’s body with his hands and learn all there was to know.

  
They’d moved without him even realising, and Levi was caught by surprise when his shin bumped into the mattress. He severed their kiss again – requiring some level of spatial awareness in order to avoid knocking his injury – then climbed up onto the bed and pulled Eren along with him. They laid down next to each other, breaths too harsh and heavy to continue kissing. Levi didn’t mind, though. He preferred it this way. With his eyes open, a few inches between their faces, allowing him to take in Eren’s expressions and marvel at the orange glow on his already warm complexion.

  
Eren moved forward, his palm pushing against Levi’s chest and prompting him to roll onto his back. There was no better sight than Eren crawling over him, that ruffled, brown hair threatening to tickle his face as Eren straddled his hips and gently laid down on top of him. Levi sighed once the warmth of Eren’s skin returned to him. Just a moment without it felt like too much. He allowed his hands to wander, sliding his splayed palms down Eren’s back before moving up his sides. His fingers dragged over solid bone and pliant muscles, exploring the bumps of Eren’s ribs and then the dip in the small of his back.

  
Eren’s hands roamed over him just as freely, lightly running along his chest and down the sides of his torso, all while Eren’s hips teasingly pressed down into his own. It caused their erections to rub together, the angle giving them both a detailed preview even through their clothes. Eren was just as hard as he was.

  
Levi let out a soft groan, his fingers digging firm into Eren’s back at the next roll of his hips. They left a few stray kisses on each other’s parted lips, grazing their mouths over flushed cheeks and sharing the same humid breaths. He was so aroused just by Eren’s being; his warm body and the fresh scent that coated his skin, every tender touch adding to the fire in Levi’s gut and the desire clouding his mind.

Levi slid his hands down Eren’s back and grabbed his ass, kneading his palms into the supple flesh and pulling Eren’s waist down harder. The brief tastes of friction only left him aching for more, and he got exactly what he wanted when Eren took the hint and started rocking steadily into him. Levi encouraged him with his hands, using his grip on Eren’s ass to guide him into a pace that had them desperately grinding together. “Eren…”

  
“Mmn,” Eren hummed lowly, his hips shifting to put more pressure on their straining erections. He ran his fingers over Levi’s undercut and his lips along his cheek, all while letting out heavy breaths that were interwoven with soft sounds of pleasure. “More?”

  
The lustful whisper sent a tingle down Levi’s spine. Before he knew it, he was nodding his head and reaching for the front of Eren’s pants, popping open the buttons until the fabric was loose enough to slide off Eren’s hips. He peppered Eren’s cheek with kisses, body pushing up for more contact as his thumbs yanked on the man’s pants.

  
“Gods… hold on,” Eren said under his breath. He pulled away and got off the bed, those heated green eyes still fixated on Levi as he dropped his pants and left them in a crumpled heap on the floor. His body was bare, skin covered only by a veil of golden light, and between his legs was a patch of trimmed brown hair and a fully formed erection.

  
Lust smouldered in Levi’s groin at the sight of all that exposed skin. He wanted nothing more than to run his hands over every inch of Eren’s body and feel it writhing against his own. With that thought, Levi removed his pyjama pants and kicked them off the side of the bed, freeing his own cock just as Eren climbed back onto the mattress. He reclined back, the fur blankets soft and silky against his skin. 

  
Eren went back to the same position, laying on Levi’s chest with a leg on either side of his hips. Their lips came together to share a slow and uncoordinated kiss as they continued grinding into each other, relishing the sear of skin and losing themselves in every delectable moment of pleasure.

  
The desperate rolls of their hips caused their erections to slide together, the disordered movements resulting in only a light and tantalising graze of skin. The temptation drove them both mad. It was evident in their heightened breaths, the searching thrusts that grew more and more insistent as they sought out the friction that they wanted so badly.

  
Levi was the first to give in. He wanted this moment with Eren to last forever, but he was well aware his body was incapable of that. A man could only possess so much restraint. He reached down between them and took both their lengths in his hand, his cock twitching eagerly as he appreciated the sight of their shafts pressed flush together, slits glistening with pre-cum and proving that they were both in dire need of something more. Levi slid his hand over them, slowly working their cocks with his fist and eating up the erotic moans that fell from Eren’s lips.

  
Eren lifted up on his palms and gave him some space to work. Eren’s face was flushed, eyes lidded and spellbound as he eagerly rocked into Levi’s hand. They had already established a good rhythm, slow and filled with longing, and the air itself seemed to swelter as it wicked away the humidity from their skin. “Ah, Levi, I… I want –”

  
Levi drew a sharp inhale from them both by squeezing their erections, giving them a few firm strokes before going back to a softer touch. A clear bead of fluid dripped from his tip and gathered in the crook of his thumb. He could barely contain himself, could barely fathom what he was doing with this beautiful man that was sitting on his hips. If it weren’t for his injury, he would have flipped Eren over and tasted every patch of blushing skin that he could find.

  
“I want you,” Eren finished, the words falling from his lips like wind through leaves. Soft, quiet, full of life and full of air. “I want you to stay.”

  
Levi’s let out a broken sigh, his fist moving faster along their lengths as his other hand dug into Eren’s hip. He swallowed, struggling to focus on anything but the heat building in his gut and the friction on his cock. Then, he met Eren’s eyes, and that passionate glimmer of hope served as his anchor. He steadied himself enough to whisper back, “I’m not going anywhere.”

  
Eren moaned and nodded vacantly, his eyes briefly closing as Levi rolled his palm over their weeping cockheads. He too must be finding it difficult to form a cohesive thought. Once he’d had enough of the teasing, Eren leaned over and retrieved a small glass bottle from the bedside drawer. It contained an oil of some description – perhaps one that Eren had created for this exact purpose. There was a mild scent to it as Eren poured it out into his hand, allowing a considerable amount to pool in his palm before lavishly applying it to their straining erections.

  
Levi groaned while running his hands up Eren’s thighs. The oil quickly warmed on his skin, slicking up his cock and allowing them to wetly slide together in Eren’s palm. The pleasure was sinful, pulling at something deep in his gut, a perfect combination of his affection and that hot and slippery friction. “Shit,” Levi breathed, his hips straining to push up as Eren’s hand slid along their lengths. “That feels so good.”

  
“Nnm, yeah…” Eren moaned back. He released them both, then leaned down to kiss along Levi’s cheek while reaching behind himself with his lube coated hand.

  
Levi lamented the sudden lack of friction, and so he moved his hands up to Eren hips to try pulling him down further. He rocked up into him at the same time, managing to press their cocks together in the space between their torsos. The teasing was slowly getting to him, the brief bouts of stimulation leaving him with a sense of desperation and a lust that was about to consume him. He kneaded Eren’s hips, letting out one rugged breath after the other as he thrusted against him, all while warm lips kissed along his cheek and started mouthing at the sensitive spot below his ear. Eren was driving him crazy – and it wasn’t until a breath hitched in his ear that Levi realised what he was doing.

  
Eren was fingering himself. His arm was stretched taut behind him, just able to reach with his hips tilted up the way they were, panting broken breaths into Levi’s ear as he tried to slide his fingers deeper inside himself.

  
“Eren,” Levi whispered against the side of his head. What Eren was doing turned him on more than anything – as did the thought of where this was likely heading – but despite his own arousal, the last thing he wanted was for Eren to end up hurting himself. “We don’t have to…”

  
“Don’t worry.” Eren left one last kiss on his cheek, then lifted up on his free arm to look down at him with warm, lust-clouded eyes. He paused what he was doing to sit back and pour more oil into his hand, still holding Levi’s gaze as he reached behind himself once more. “I’ve practised on my own.”

  
Levi almost forgot to breathe. Of course, witches would be the kind to embrace their own sexuality. He had underestimated the raw and natural beauty that was Eren. With his mind at ease, he raked his eyes over Eren’s torso and reached down to slowly stroke their cocks. Levi was still rock hard, aroused just by the sight of Eren’s flexing abdomen and protruding collar bones, skin now glazed with sweat as the room heated up around them. 

  
Eren hummed provocatively and brought his hand forward again. He lifted himself up on his knees, then shifted forward until he was able to slide Levi’s erection between his ass cheeks. The teasing didn’t last long. Eren gave him only a few strokes before lining himself up, slowly rolling his hips to nudge and rub his entrance against Levi’s swollen tip.

  
Levi dug his fingers into Eren’s hips once he started lowering down, a low moan like gravel in his throat. Eren was so warm, so tight, slowly sinking down onto his cock with a knit of pleasure in his brow. He felt so good – perfect, even – so much so that Levi thought he might’ve actually seen a few stars by the time Eren’s ass pressed flush against his hips.

  
“Aah,” Eren moaned quietly, his palms running down Levi’s torso as he rolled his hips forward. “Levi…”

  
Levi groaned at the sound of his name of Eren’s lips, the feeling of those soft insides caressing his length and squeezing him tight. His mind was all but gone; lost to pleasure, lust and yearning, and especially to that spark of adoration in hooded green eyes.

  
Levi made another strained noise when Eren started moving. He relished the sensation of his cock slowly dragging out of Eren’s body, the excess lubricant running hot down his shaft and dripping onto his balls, and then he was consumed by that silken heat once more. His fingertips curled into Eren’s skin, helping him establish a slow and steady rhythm while pushing up with his own hips. “That’s it…”

  
“Nngh, y-yeah,” Eren moaned, sitting up straight and slightly arching his back. He added a roll of his hips to each languid thrust, raising his hips and then descending until his ass pressed hard against Levi’s skin. He was gorgeous. Lips parted and eyes closed, head lopped back in pleasure, his toned abdomen undulating with quick lungfuls of air. 

  
Watching Eren ride him was like looking up at the moon. Beautiful, glowing; drawing his gaze from afar and demanding his undivided attention. Eren was the centrepiece of his sky, and when those lashes cracked open to reveal glossy teal eyes, Levi could barely believe that something so bright and mystical could be looking back down at him.

  
With another breathless moan, Levi wrapped a hand around Eren’s erection and stroked it in time with their thrusts. The added stimulation caused Eren’s hips to buck into his hand, taking on a slightly faster pace as their movements became desperate and thoughtless. Eren was unravelling, his breaths sharp and his thighs trembling against Levi’s sides, barely able to keep a steady rhythm and starting to lose his momentum.

  
It wasn’t a bad thing – for Levi had just been thinking about how he wanted to hold him closer. 

  
“Let me take over,” Levi said between heavy breaths. His hands clamped down on Eren’s waist to stop his sporadic movements, and then he pressed his good leg against the bed to roll them onto their sides. The furs clung to his humid skin, making his body feel ever hotter as he leaned in to give Eren a deep and bruising kiss. It was a blessing just to have Eren’s chest against his own again. However, he doubted he’d be able to fuck him properly this way. He left Eren’s lips red and swollen, then hummed while appreciative running his hand up the side of Eren’s ribcage. “Turn around.”

  
Eren bit his bottom lip, dragging his teeth over the flushed skin before giving a faint nod. He gave Levi one last kiss and rolled onto his other side.

  
Levi shifted forward to press up against Eren’s back, then slipped his dick between his awaiting thighs. He loved having more skin contact with Eren, being able to appreciate the smooth expanse of his back and those toned shoulder blades. His lips dragged over Eren’s shoulder, coating the flushed skin with heavy breaths of his own. He savoured the moment that the tip of his cock slowly slid back into Eren’s hole. “Oh…”

  
“God–” Eren inhaled sharply, pushing his ass back against Levi as the rest of his length sunk inside.

  
Levi started off slow. He rolled his hips forward, grinding himself against Eren’s walls and testing how deep he could penetrate him in this position. By now, his patience was beginning to wear thin. He wanted to chase his own pleasure and assist Eren in doing the same. The roll of his body soon turned into long and languid thrusts, burying himself so deep that Eren’s cheeks squished flat against his hips. “Fuck, Eren… you feel so good.”

  
Eren let out a whine of a moan. He wrapped a hand around his own erection, giving himself slow and clumsy strokes as Levi moved within him.

  
Levi was truly gone now. The lust bubbling in his gut had grown too hot to ignore. He reached down to hook his hand around Eren’s thigh, then lifted it up in the air to spread Eren’s legs and give himself better access. It made Eren feel tighter, tenser, stretched taut around his cock and providing a friction that was all too good. He rested his forehead against Eren’s shoulder as he quickened his pace, bodies hot with sweat and desire as they each became more desperate for release.

  
Levi tightened his grip on Eren’s leg, keeping the limb secure in the air, while his other hand slid under Eren’s side and clung onto his torso. He held Eren close, just like he wanted. His lips grazed senselessly over Eren’s shoulder and nape, jaw slack and his eyebrows pinched together in pleasure. He would’ve kissed him if he had he mind to – but with his thrusts becoming quick and wild, there was only a single thought in Levi’s head. “Almost there…”

  
Eren replied with a soft and strangled sound. It sat somewhere between a sob and a moan, his hand still sliding along his erection as his leg twitched and tensed in its hold. Levi felt every clipped breath in Eren’s chest as he tumbled towards the edge. How his ribs expanded with each hurried intake, how his muscles writhed and how his hips rocked back in search of friction. “Aah, Levi… don’t stop, fuck, I- I’m so close,” Eren whispered between sharp pants of air, and it was only a few more seconds before his body pulled tight and a high moan signalled his release.

  
Levi let out a rugged groan as Eren came in his arms. He was on the brink himself, an expectant pressure mounting in his gut, and it spurred him to thrust frantically into Eren’s ass until he finally broke. “Eren,” he choked out, drowning in pleasure as it was water being poured down his throat. His fingers dug into the skin of Eren’s chest and thigh, clawing at that tight and tensing body as he came hard. It was scorching. His hips jerked forward, burying himself deep, cock hot and pulsating as cum erupted from his tip in sporadic bursts.

  
His drawn-out moan turned into breathless pants. In the immediate aftermath, all he could register was the heat of Eren’s body, the fresh and somewhat sweet scent of Eren’s skin as he trailed his nose and lips over his back. That moment… it was bliss.

  
They laid there for some time, catching their breaths and coming to their senses. Once they had, Levi pulled out and sighed as Eren rolled over to face him. Eren looked tired, a bit sweaty, but more than anything, happy.

  
Levi was, too.

  
He slowly ran his hand along Eren’s side, a touch that was gentle and tender. His heart skipped a beat when Eren’s fingertip glided over his jaw with the same sentiment. Levi closed his eyes as a thumb rubbed soft circles below his ear, the spark of Eren’s skin against his own still magical despite their exhaustion.

  
“Levi,” Eren whispered, legs curling forward to entwine with his. “I meant what I said about wanting you to stay.”

  
Levi cracked his eyes open. “So did I.”

  
“Are you sure? It doesn’t have to be right away, but…” Eren bit his lip, almost as if scolding himself for trying to deter him. “You really wouldn’t mind leaving your home behind?”

  
A smile tugged at the corner of Levi’s mouth. If his mother had taught him anything, it was that it didn’t matter where you were - only who was there standing there beside you. He moved his hand down to Eren’s back, laying his palm on his spine and pulling him closer.

  
“There’s more for me in this house than there is in all of Shiganshina.” 

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! 
> 
> [You can find me on Tumblr](https://fluffyboots.tumblr.com/)


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